Broken Imprint
by fmfg
Summary: The Cullens come across a small child who needs a family. Will she trust them to be that family, and what happens when her past catches up with her?
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to Unusual Imprint, which you don't have to read first, but I recommend it. From Arian's point of view:**

My eyes opened and fear rushed through me. I was here in the bad room again. I didn't allow myself to cry out like I wanted. I stayed quiet because Leo made me promise. He said that if I cried, Father would hurt me even more. This dark room meant that Father would be running his experiments again. Father told me that Leo and I were created to make vampires stronger and to destroy evil creatures like the wolves.

His experiments hurt a lot, and the room was always a place where I experienced this hurt. I wished I wasn't here. I wished I could be with my brother, Leo, and he would protect me from Father. I also wish I could see the kind lady with long, blonde hair like mine. She would bring food to Leo and me after we got out of the bad room.

Sometimes even the kind lady would hold and sing to me, which would always make me feel better. She would make me feel warm inside. I wanted to go stay with the kind lady and Leo, and there would be no more experiments.

I held my breath as a tall male vampire entered the room. He came up to me, and he placed a large stick into my arm. He pressed down on the end, pushing something into me. It always started like that. Leo said they were injecting something into our bodies to test us and see if it would make us stronger.

The pain spread through my body, and I couldn't think of anything else. My body felt very hot, and soon I'd be hot all over. I was so scared, and big tears rolled down my cheeks. My body began to hurt everywhere. I imagined Leo holding me so I could feel calmer. The burning spread throughout my body causing me to curl up into a ball. I ached so badly that I fell asleep so I didn't have to feel anymore.

When I woke up again, Leo sat beside me on the small cot I had. My body was sore all over, and I knew it would take days for the aches to stop. Leo looked worried. His long blond hair, which resembled Father's and mine, fell forward, hiding his face.

"Leo?" I whispered.

"Are you feeling all right, Arian?"

"I fell asleep again," I told him softly.

I saw his jaw working, and I wasn't sure what he was thinking. He always became quiet after I came out of the room.

"We have to get out of here," he said for the hundredth time.

Leo always said that, but I knew Father wanted us to make the vampires stronger.

"I'll think of a way," he whispered, looking at me, and promising. "I'll find away to save you."

"Hold me, Leo."

His eyes softened. He picked me up in his warm arms, and I laid my head on his chest. My body relaxed a little in his arms. I loved being held by Leo. He made me feel safe, and I knew he would take care of me. His warm body helped my aches feel better, too. I relaxed further as he ran his large hand over my back, and I soon fell asleep.

That night I dreamed of a golden-haired woman who rocked and sang to me. She kissed me on my forehead and told me I was safe. A large man with dark hair entered the room, and I was a little scared of him, but I knew he would keep me safe. _Mommy and Daddy. _Those words echoed in my mind as the dream ended.

**Rosalie's point of view:**

Carlisle, Emmett, and I ran through the forest, following the scent of deer. I could smell their blood as we got closer, and the venom pooled in my mouth. Running faster, we came across the herd. I enjoyed hunting since it gave life some variety, and we got to use our rare speed and strength at full force.

We each took down a deer, and we quickly drained their blood. I stood, wiping the blood off my face before my husband or adopted father could see it.

I then smelt something … different from anything else I had smelled before. The scent was similar to Nessie and Leah's children, but it smelled off, like the blood had been diluted by something else. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent again as Emmett stood, wiping the blood from his mouth. Carlisle did the same, and his eyes were the caramel color that showed we had just fed. I took another deep breath and the strange smell again hit my nose.

"Do you smell that?" I asked.

"Smell what?" Carlisle replied, and Emmett gave me a strange look.

"Don't you smell it?" I asked. "I can't put my finger on it, but …"

I trailed off as Carlisle and Emmett stared.

"Maybe an animal you haven't come across before?" Emmett suggested.

"I don't think so." I rolled my eyes at him. I knew I wasn't crazy.

"If you say so, babe."

"We should head home," Carlisle said.

I nodded in agreement, although my heart was insisting that I go toward the unusual smell. I felt as if I had to see what was behind the odor. We ran again, and I was surprised that the smell was getting stronger. There was no way they could miss it.

"Please tell me you smell that, too," I said.

Carlisle nodded, his brows furrowing. We slowed to follow the scent instead of taking our usual path home. The smell continued to grow stronger as we ran. Carlisle then stopped abruptly. I gasped as I stepped up next to him.

A two-year-old girl curled up on the ground looked up at us with large blue eyes that were filled with fear. Her hair, skin, and clothes were covered in filth. I could tell she was half vampire, half human from her scent and heartbeat. However, there was a big distinction in her scent. She shivered from the cold weather, snow, and lack of clothing, because she only wore a thin shirt and pants. There were no shoes on her feet, and many small cuts covered them.

_Where did she come from?  
_"Hello," Carlisle said gently, and the girl flinched. "We won't hurt you."

The girl clutched her shirt as she looked at Carlisle. She seemed frightened of him. Her large eyes turned to me, and they were pleading with me. Carlisle took another tentative step toward her. The girl whimpered and seemed to be bracing herself for something. The girl's eyes shot back toward me.

In that moment, my heart broke for her. She was obviously scared, and I wanted to do anything to take that fear away. Where were her parents? Shouldn't they near to protect and care for her? She shouldn't be in the middle of the woods or look as unhealthy and as neglected as she did.

"Rose, maybe you can …" Carlisle said looking over his shoulder at me.

"You want me to …" I asked, not understanding him.

"She seems to be afraid of me. Maybe you can approach her and talk to her."

I nodded, looking back at the girl. I slowly walked toward her; I didn't want any sudden movements to frighten her. She didn't seem to be afraid of me like she was of Carlisle. I knelt down next to her.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Arian," she whispered.

"I'm Rose," I said, and the little girl nodded. "How did you get here?"

"Leo." She pointed to the forest. "He hurt."

"Leo?" I asked.

"He my brother. He runned us away, but he hurt band and told me find nice people."

"What happened to Leo?" I asked.

"He say he too tired and had to go to sleep for a long time," she said simply.

It dawned on me, Leo must've died. Her innocence made me ache further for her since she obviously didn't realize that he was dead. How did these two end up in the forest alone and hurt? My mind searched for answers, but I couldn't find any possible solutions to how Arian or Leo could've gotten here. It was obvious they came from somewhere nearby, how did we not come across them before?

My focus returned to the little girl and what steps we should take. There would be no way she would go back to where she was before. The wind blew her smell toward us. There was a strong smell of body odor and urine, and my heart ached for the serious neglect she went through.

"Just like the others," I muttered. "Carlisle, do you think she is half, too?"

"I think so," Carlisle said. "How did Leo bring you here, Arian?"

She whimpered as she stared at Carlisle. _Why _was she so afraid of Carlisle? He had an amazing bedside manner with many of his patients that caused many to trust him easily, which didn't seem to be the case for Arian.

"It's okay, Arian." I said. "He's my father, and he won't hurt you. I won't let him."

Arian relaxed a little but still looked afraid of Carlisle. Emmett, sensing the girl's fear, kept his distance.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"Leo runs me and him away."

"Away from who?" I asked.

"Father," she whispered. "I shouldn't say-Father said not to. Leo say it okay when I find good person. Father hurt me and Leo for experiment. For vampire stronger."  
"Your father did experiments on Leo and you to make vampires stronger?" I asked, trying to make sense of what she was saying, and the little girl nodded.

A growl deep in my chest rumbled. I didn't allow it to be too loud since I didn't want to give Arian a reason to be afraid of me. I heard Emmett and Carlisle growl, too. What father would did this to their child? I felt so angry; I wished Edward was her. He would know what the vampire looked like so we could go after him. I also felt like crying for her. She was such a dear child, and someone had done these experiments for his or her selfish reasons.

I stood slowly and looked at Carlisle and Emmett. Carlisle looked upset while Emmett looked pissed.

"What should we do?" I asked.

"We'll bring her home," Carlisle said. "We'll figure out what to do from there."

"Should we go find the boy?" Emmett said. "He shouldn't be far off."

"We should all head home first," Carlisle said. "We can look for him after we get her cleaned up."

"Should we explain that he is …" I asked.

"Not yet," he said. "It seems that there are going to be a lot of changes for her."

I sighed as I looked back at Arian. She looked so scared and confused. I slowly went and crouched by her again. The smell coming off her almost made me gag.

"Would you like to come and live with me?" I asked.

"You nice?" Arian asked.

"Yes."

"You no let them hurt me?"

"Never."

"Okay," she said, looking as if she wanted to trust us but at the same time was unsure. "Leo come, too?"

"He will," I said choosing my words carefully, "but he won't wake up."

Tears filled here yes. Instinct took over, and I reached for her. Arian didn't pull away, instead she buried her face in my chest and sobbed. I cradled her close. I felt a stirring in me that I had never felt before. I felt a great amount of affection for her, something that not even my adopted nieces had been able to create.

"Shhh," I said. "It's okay. I'm here."

We started walking slowly. I kissed her on the head even though her hair was filthy. My hand ran up and down her back, and I could feel how thin she was. The crying eventually stopped, and she fell asleep against me.

"What are we going to do?" I asked Carlisle as we approached the house.

"I'll examine her since she's asleep," he said. "I'm sure Edward will be able to sort through her thoughts once she wakes. I think you should bath her and get some food into her when she wakes up. We need to get some weight on her."

We came upon the house and saw Alice standing on the back porch, looking worried.

"You three disappeared. What happened?" Alice asked. She gasped when she saw who was in my arms. "What happened?"

Edward came quickly to the back porch followed closely by Esme. She also gasped when she saw Arian. Carlisle quickly explained as we made our way into the house. I carried Arian up to Carlisle's study and let him look at her. He undressed her revealing many large bruises and cuts on her small body. She was so thin that bones stuck out of her frame. She looked so sick that it made me want to cry and find the people who did this to her.

"It's obvious that she's half vampire and half human," Carlisle said after he cleaned several large cuts and drew some blood. "I think there is something else mixed with her blood, though, but I won't be sure until I do some tests."

"How did this happen to a child?" Esme said. She looked as if she would be sick.

"I don't know," Carlisle said. "Hopefully, Edward can find something when she wakes up."

Edward nodded, looking sick; no doubt he was thinking of Nessie as Bella stood wrapped in his arms.

"We should bathe her," I whispered as I brushed her hair out of the way.

"I'll get some clothes we had for the girls," Alice said, and I nodded.

Esme and I went into the bathroom just as Arian started to move a little. Her eyes slowly opened and took in her surroundings with big eyes. She clutched me as she saw Esme.

"It's okay, Arian," I whispered to the frightened girl. "This is my mother Esme. She won't hurt you."

She again relaxed only a little, but more than she did around Emmett and Carlisle.

"We want to clean you," I said as Esme turned on the water to the bath and tested the temperature.

"It experiment," she stated, her eyes going dull, but I could tell she was scared.

"No," I said. "You will not be experiments on here. No one will hurt you anymore. A bath is how we get clean."

Her large eyes looked as if she wanted to trust me, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to believe all that I said. I hoped Arian would trust and believe me eventually. At that moment, Alice came in, and Arian hid her face in my clothes again.

"Would you want to meet my sister?" I asked. "She has some pretty dresses for you."

"Dresses?" Arian asked.

"It's something that women and girls wear. Esme is wearing one," I said.

"Oh," Arian said, her eyes looked at Esme. "I get dress?"

"Yes," Alice said, stepping forward and holding one up. "A nice, pretty one."

"Okay," Arian whispered into my chest while sneaking peeks.

"Are you ready to get into the water?" I asked.

Arian nodded as I knelt next to the tub and set her in. She looked at me, unsure of what to do. Esme handed me a large cup we used to bath Ness and the twins when they were younger. I filled the cup up and slowly poured it over Arian's body before I moved to her hair. To my surprise, she didn't shriek, cry, or play like most children would. She just sat there listlessly as we cleaned her.

"Do you like your bath?" Esme asked sweetly.

Arian looked at me, and I nodded my head a at her and smiled.

"I like it," she whispered to my shyly to Esme.

"Good," Esme said, smiling at Arian.

"I like warm water," Arian said.

As I washed her, fury flew through me. The bath water quickly became dark. I could feel and see bones sticking out of her. Some of the dirt that was washed off revealed even more bruising. Even light touches of the wash cloth would cause her to wince. After we finished, I dried and put Arian's dress on.

"Would you like something to eat?" Esme asked Arian.

"Food?" Her eyes lit up, showing us how hungry she was.

"Yes," Esme said. "I'll make you sandwich."

"I never has sandwich," Arian said.

We walked into the kitchen where Jasper and Edward were sitting. The moment Arian saw the two men, she put her face into my chest, clung to my shirt, and refused to look away. With the women in the room, Arian seemed to relax. With the men, however, she seemed unable to.

"Shh," I soothed. "They will not hurt you."

"She's afraid of men," Edward said, who sat at the large counter that doubled as a bar area. His jaw clenched as he fell silent for a moment. "She remembers many male vampires hurting her. She was injected with something, and they … they hit her."

I ground my teeth together as I listened to Edward. Closing my eyes, I cuddled with Arian, glad that she was safe now. Opening my eyes, I looked at Arian. She was hiding in my chest again while clutching my shirt tightly.

"Arian," I said gently. "Look at me."

Arian shook her head violently. I put my fingers under her chin and brought her eyes up to mine.

"They are not like the men you met," I told her. "They will not hurt you."

"They different?" she asked.

"Yes," I said softly.

"But you stay?"

"I will."

I saw her relax, and I looked at Jasper, who I was sure, making her feel more comfortable.

"Where are Carlisle and Emmett?" I asked.

"Trying to find the boy," Edward answered.

I nodded as I sat at the bar stool. Arian rested her cheek against my chest and took peeks at the others around the room. Sometimes she would hide her face when Edward or Jasper would move. Esme quickly put a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of us, along with a glass of milk. I lifted the sandwich and tore off a piece. I knew I had to give her small pieces so she wouldn't eat too quickly and choke.

"Do you like your sandwich, sweetie?" Esme asked, and Arian nodded.

After Arian finished her sandwich and drank two glasses of milk, she rested her little head against my chest again while watching the family with big eyes. I wondered what she was thinking. My arms tightened around her when one of the others would scare her with a sudden movement or sound. Jasper slowly moved to sit down next to me. She watched him with wide eyes, and I knew he must have been sending her calming waves.

"Thank you, Jasper," I said.

"You're welcome," he said. "She feels attached to you already, just like Nessie feels for Bella."

I always wanted children, always. I constantly resented the fact that I couldn't. My heart often broke whenever I saw women with their children. I became jealous that their bodies could give them the one thing I wanted most. Things got better when Nessie and the twins came along. I knew it wasn't the same, but I could show my motherly affection toward a child in a roundabout way, as well as have a hand in raising them.

Could Arian be my second chance, though? Could she see me as a mother figure? A part of me hoped, but another part of me felt too scared to allow myself to do so. I didn't think I could face the disappointment if that didn't work out for me. I kissed the little girl's head as these thoughts passed through my mind. Maybe, just maybe, I could hope as she curled into me.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Rosalie's point of view:**

Walking carefully so as not to wake the little girl in my arms, I moved up the stairs and into the library. Sitting the rocking chair in the corner, I cradled Arian to my chest. My hand ran over her back causing her to sigh in contentment. Throughout the next hour, I continued to rock as I held the precious little girl in my arms. I loved every second of it, especially when she snuggled into my body or sighed happily.

Suddenly, Arian stiffened against me and her eyes flew open. While my eyes could see in the pitch black, Arian's eyes searched around the darkness, and her eyes were unable to focus on anything. Her heart rate quickened and her eyes grew wide. She let out a whimper before growing silent. Edward stood in the doorway and turned on the light. His eyes watched Arian with concern.

The light caused her breathing to slow, but she was still frightened.

"It's okay, Arian," I muttered.

My fingers stroked her cheeks and I started humming. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and after a few minutes she fell asleep again. I looked up at Edward, who stood watching us.

"She was thinking that she was going to get experimented on," Edward explained.

I had to suppress growling deep in my chest. I hated that she felt like this. She shouldn't have to, and I let her down knowing that I didn't get to her sooner. She was like this because of me.

"Rosalie, you had no idea. None of us did," Edward said, stepping into the room.

"Just wish we had gotten her sooner. She shouldn't be afraid like this."

"I wish we had found her sooner too. I wouldn't know what to do if she were my daughter …"

Esme came into the room, a sad smile on her face.

"Carlisle wants to talk to you in his office," she said as she came in. "I'll hold her while you all talk."

"You aren't going to join us?" I asked as I handed Arian carefully to her.

"No, I'll listen from here." She took my spot in the chair. "If I have any questions, I'm sure Edward will ask them for me."

"Of course," Edward said.

After kissing Arian on the forehead, I followed Edward into Carlisle's study. There was a body covered with the sheet on his medical table.

"Leo?" I asked.

Carlisle nodded and sighed. I hadn't seen him look so tired in a long time.

"Both Leo and Arian have traces of werewolf venom in their blood. His was so high it stopped his heart. How it didn't kill her, I don't know," Carlisle said. "I can only guess they gave her an antidote."

Emmett, Jasper, and Edward growled. Werewolf venom would kill vampires in a slow, painful death, and this beautiful girl had to suffer the pain from it repeatedly. I felt like crying for her and killing the 'father' who'd done this to her.

How would this affect her health and growth? Would her heart stop too, and if not, how would we get her physically healthy? Would she suffer from emotional after-affects too? It was too much to think about. My little girl was suffering, and I wondered how much we could really help her become a normal, healthy child. Emmet put his arms around me while I buried my head on his chest. I took several deep breaths, taking in Emmett's calming sent. After a few minutes, I looked at my family. They all looked like I felt.

_Edward, please, _I thought, _ask if she'll be normal … healthy._

"Will Arian grow up to be a normal, healthy girl?" Edward asked.

"I think with time she could be," Carlisle said while looking at me. "She will need time to heal, of course. Starting tomorrow, I want her drinking blood every day to help clean out her system. It's possible she'll go through some kind of withdrawal, which we'll keep an eye on."

I leaned into Emmett's side as Carlisle talked. He continued to let us know what we could expect from a child who'd been abused and how to help them recover. We had a long road ahead of us. By the time he was finished, I felt emotionally and mentally exhausted.

Emmett and I left the study, hand in hand. He stopped me outside of the library to kiss me. Even though he had the goofy exterior, my husband was understanding and supportive of me. It was one of the things that made me love him.

"I'll be here for you both," Emmett said. "I know you see her as yours, and I want to be a father to her."

Emmett kissed me gently again before we went into the library. Esme was singing gently to Arian, who slept with her mouth open. I smiled; we both loved being able to show our maternal side. As I walked into the room, Esme stood and handed Arian to me. I took her, and the sorrow I felt for her difficult journey ran through me.

"She'll be all right, Rosalie," Esme said.

"I hope so," I whispered. "She's just been through so much."

"It's normal to worry this much about your children, Rose." Esme put her hand on my cheek, causing me to meet her gaze. "You have no idea how much your father and I worried about you when you were first turned. Not it's your turn to worry about his little one."

I kissed Esme's cheek causing Arian to stir a little. I ran my hand up and down her back until she fell back asleep, her head nestled against my chest.

"It's almost morning. When she wakes up, I'll make breakfast for her. After that, Alice and I will go shopping to get things for her room set up," Esme said.

"Thank you, Esme."

She kissed my cheek before leaving the room. I grinned when Emmet, who had taken Esme's place in the rocking chair, pulled me into his lap. I cuddled against his chest as his large hand went to Arian's back. Much to my surprise, she smiled in her sleep as he ran his hand up and down her back. I smiled as we rocked her in the chair. In one of the rare moments since my changing, I was glad that this was my life.

As the sun came up and lit up the room, Arian stirred in my arms. Emmett got up, setting me on my feet. He gave Arian a kiss on the forehead before leaving the library. Her eyes fluttered open as I walked us down stairs.

"Good morning, Arian," I said to her.

"You keeped me safe," she said.

"Yes, I did." I kissed her forehead. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

"And milk?" she asked.

"And milk too," I told her as we stepped into the kitchen.

Esme had two pancakes and fruit on a plate for her. She was pouring milk into a large cup that smelled of animal blood. Arian's eyes focused on the cup while Esme put the milk in the fridge. As soon as Esme handed me the cup and I held it up to her, Arian drank it quickly. Carlisle walked into the kitchen as soon as Arian finished the cup, and as usual, she shrank away from him.

"Arian, would you like some food?" I asked while Carlisle sat across from us.

"Yes, please," she whispered into my shirt.

I fed Arian as Esme sat next to Carlisle. As she ate, she seemed less lethargic and more alert. When she finished eating, Esme took her plate while giving her another glass of milk mixed with animal blood.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Hunting," Carlisle said. "I asked them to get animal blood to store up."

I nodded as I held the cup up to Arian lips. Once again, she drank greedily.

"Her color looks better," Carlisle noted.

"She does," I muttered.

"I can't wait for you to see her room," Esme said as she put her arm around Carlisle. "We set it up next to yours."

"Already?" I asked. "How did you find a store that was open this early?"

"Alice." Esme smiled and shook her head. "You should go look at it."

"Would you like to see your room?" I asked Arian.

"Room?" she asked, blinking up at me.

"It's where you will sleep," I told her.

"On a cot?"

"No, Aunt Alice got you a nice bed," I told her as I stood up.

A moment later, I stepped into the room. Alice and Bella were putting a few more stuffed animals and books on the shelves, making to look like a normal two year old's bedroom. Alice used pale pinks and whites as the colors. Her double bed had a checkered quilt with a railing on the sides.

A large doll house stood in the corner.

I sat Arian on the ground, expecting her to look at the new toys, but instead she held onto my leg. She didn't move from that spot as she surveyed the room. Grabbing a hold of her hand, I walked us toward the doll house. Sitting down on the floor and pulling her into my lap, I held up one of the dolls we had. Alice and Bella quickly joined me.

I gave Arian the doll to hold, but she put it down on the floor and turned to rest her head on my chest. I sighed. Carlisle had warned us that she may not react like kids normally did. The three of us started 'playing' with the dolls; Alice mostly changed their outfits while Bella and I made up little scenarios for our dolls. Arian watched us the whole time from my lap with large eyes.

After playing for an hour, Arian's eyes started to become heavy, so I grabbed a book off the shelf and sat us in the rocking chair. As I read the book, she watched in fascination as her mouth hung open. When I finished the book, I rocked us back and forth until she fell asleep in my arms.

Emmett came into the room and watched us as he leaned against the door frame. The look in his eyes was something I hadn't seen before- a love for this child, his child.

"Can I hold her?" he asked.

I nodded, standing and holding her out to him. Emmett took Arian in his arms, cradling her close to his body. His massive arms held her tenderly and made her look tiny. I smiled as she sighed and curled into his chest.

"Carlisle suggested that I hold her when she was sleeping," Emmett said not taking his eyes off of Arian. "He hopes that she'll subconsciously learn to trust me this way."

"It seems she already does," I whispered as I moved some of Arian's hair out of her way.

Emmett gazed at me tenderly before leaning down to kiss me gently.

"I love you," he told me, giving me a playful grin. "Mommy."

I grinned at my husband before kissing him firmly.

**Brady's point of view:**

"Faster, Uncle Brady!" Abby squealed.

I ran faster, holding Ashley and Seth's four year old over my head, causing her giggle loudly. People smiled as I ran by. Abby was a special part of the pack. She'd been born two months early, and we'd almost lost her. From here early birth and the complications she faced, she had cognitive impairments, but she was a happy little girl and was so precious. She had all of the pack wrapped around her finger.

"Come on, Abby. It's time to eat," Ashley called, her hand placed on her large belly. Her second pregnancy, luckily, was almost full term with a boy, much to Seth's delight.

I gave Abby a kiss before putting her down. She ran to her mother on wobbly legs. I quickly made a beeline toward the food. I was starving, and there was no way I'd pass up Emily's cooking. She still cooked for the pack even though Sam was retired. Within a minute, I was sitting on a blanket near Collin, as we stuffed our mouths full of food.

On the other side of Collin, Nina sat, taking a few things off of his plate. Collin had imprinted on Leah's and Felix's daughter, Nina, six years ago. The six year old looked closer to eleven or twelve. She didn't eat much human food and consumed mainly blood, while the opposite was true for her twin sister, Tala.

When we finished, we roasted marshmallows around the fire, helping the little kids with theirs.

"Uncle Brady, marshemell?" Abby asked, pointing to the bag of marshmallows next to me.

"Do you want to help me roast one?" I asked her.

"Peese," she asked.

I helped her get her marshmallow on a stick, and held on to her as we roasted the marshmallow in the fire. When it was done roasting, I held it up for her to blow on, her little cheeks puffing out. Taking marshmallow off the stick, I handed the marshmallow.

"It stik," she said.

"Is it sticky?" I asked. "You better eat it quick, or I might eat it."

"No, no. Mine!" She giggled.

I smiled as she started eating the marshmallow, getting it all over her face. As usual, Billy shared the stories of the tribe, and I held Abby as she slept. Over the years, we added onto our stories of the things that had happened to the tribe, from the Cullens coming back and to the recent imprints with their growing families. As he spoke of the imprints, I shifted slightly, realizing that I was the last wolf left to imprint.

I never really thought about it before. Even with my close knit family, I was alone in this regard. Not that I was lonely, or anything. I just thought it strange.

"Can I have my daughter back?" Seth asked, stepping in front of me.

I rolled my eyes as I handed Abby to Seth.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, just thinking," I admitted. "Are you working tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he said. "But not until the afternoon. Ashley has an appointment tomorrow."

I nodded as I said my final goodbyes before going home to my empty apartment.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Emmett's point of view:**

I smiled as I leaned against the doorway of Arian's room while my wife put Arian to bed. I loved this room since it was a typical little girl's room, and Alice had done a great job making it simple. Rosalie carefully placed her in the bed after pulling back the covers, and kissed her forehead before leaving the room. As soon as she reached me, I pulled her into my arms and closed Arian's door.

"I need you," I muttered against Rose's neck. "I've missed you."

"Mmmm, I've missed you too," she replied against my lips as I walked her backward and into our room.

Once we stepped into the room, I slammed the door with my foot. Turning our bodies around, I picked up and pinned Rosalie against the door, causing it to rattle. I groaned when she wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me close to her center. I attached her neck and jaw with kisses as my hands gripped her hips. My fingers dug into her skin as I crashed my lips against hers.

I moved my hands up to push her shirt over her head. A growl erupted from my chest as my eyes scanned her perfect chest with no bra. I palmed her left breast as I licked the other one.

"Too … too slow. I need you, Em," she said huskily into my ear.

She reached down to release me from my pants as I tore hers off. I drove into Rose, causing her to groan and roll her head back. I grunted as I thrust into her, and I couldn't believe how good it felt. She'd always felt amazing, even though we've had sex countless times, her tight heat got me every time.

"Oh, faster, Emmett," Rose said, her breath fanning against my skin.

I obliged, moving fast and quick against her.

"Yes, just like that … oh don't stop!"

"Rosalie, I'm so close."

She gasped and I felt her clutch around me. A growl erupted through my chest as I came along with her, and we rode out our orgasms together. I gave her a slow, deep kiss as we came down from our high. I shivered as her fingers ran through my hair.

"I needed that," I told her as I held on her tight while still buried deep inside of her.

"Me too," she said.

"You just want a piece of your baby-daddy," I teased as I pulled out of her and set her on her feet.

Rose rolled her eyes as she removed the rest of her clothes but froze when we heard coughing and vomiting in the next room. Our eyes met briefly before we moved to get clean clothes on. I couldn't move fast enough to get into the other room, and it seemed the same for Rosalie. We rushed from our room and into Arian's thankful that Esme put her room next ours.

The little girl was sitting up, crying, with vomit down the front and on the sheets. Her eyes were filled with pain and fear as she looked up at us. The next moment Rose had her in her arms.

Shh, sweetie, it's okay. I'm here," she said to Arian before turning to me. "Will you get the bath started?"

I quickly moved to the bathroom just as Esme and Carlisle came into the room. I could hear Esme take the sheets off the bed as Carlisle had Rosalie take Arian's temperature. I stepped into the bedroom to watch my wife take care of our daughter.

"Her temperature is a little high," Carlisle said.

Arian started crying harder from Carlisle's nearness as he took the thermometer out of her ear. He reached out to check her body over, but it was too soon and she cried out. A pang ran through my heart. I growled at Carlisle and he backed away. Rose moved into the bathroom to clean her and I had to follow. Rose bathed her, which seemed to have a calming effect on her since her cries went from sobs to whimpers before they stopped.

I handed Rosalie a towel as she pulled the plug on the tub. She carefully dried Arian off, but despite the gentle touches, Arian cringed.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked Carlisle, who stood at my side.

"I think she's having muscle aches, which isn't uncommon for withdrawals," he explained.

"Is there something we can give her?" I asked.

"All of the oral medications I have aren't strong enough because her high temperature will just burn it off, and I'm hesitant to inject her with something." Carlisle shook his head as he crossed his arms. "I don't want to give her another reason to be afraid of me. I have some cream that may help."

"So, we just wait it out?" I asked.

"I'll wait until she's asleep before I give her something."

"Anything we can do in the mean time?" Rose asked as we moved into Arian's room.

"I'll grab the cream, so don't dress her yet." Carlisle quickly moved out of the room as Rosalie laid Arian on the clean sheets that Esme put out.

I took the soaking wet towel as I watched my wife and daughter. Arian's face looked ashy and tired as Rosalie covered her with some blankets.

"I hurt, Mommy," Arian muttered.

A heaviness settled on my chest. The first time Arian called Rosalie 'Mommy' should've been while they were both happy and followed by hugs and kisses. That's how Rose would've imagined it, not while our daughter was sick and hurting.

"I know, baby," Rose said, running her fingers along Arian's cheek. "Carlisle is getting something that will help."

"Why I hurt?"

"People get sick sometimes."

"I want no sick." Tears ran down Arian's cheeks.

"Me neither, but it'll be gone soon. I promise."

"Don't go, Mommy."

"Never, my love."

Carlisle came into the room with a jar in his hands.

"You'll need to rub this into her skin, and it should help her relax some," he explained while handing the jar to her.

Rosalie unscrewed the lid and took a thick amount of it before smoothing it on Arian's skin gently. Arian whimpered a little, but seemed to relax when it started to work. We watched in silence as Rosalie finished just as Alice flitted into the room with a frown on her face. Her eyes unfocused, but refocused instantly.

"I hate that I can't see her," Alice muttered. "I wish I could see what she needs."

"And you don't trust my skills?" Carlisle asked.

"Still … hate that I'm useless here …" She bit her lip.

Rosalie rolled her eyes as she screwed the lid before dressing Arian and wrapping her in blankets.

"I'll get some medicine ready," Carlisle said.

I moved to sit in our rocking chair to hold Rosalie and Arian as we waited through the night, hoping that her illness wouldn't last long.

**Brady's point of view:**

I leaned down, eyeing the bike I was working on. After working in Jake's shop for a few years, I made the move to Sam and Felix's growing motorcycle shop. I worked on making and painting custom designs for clients, and I enjoyed my work. My newest bike had one of the most intricate designs I'd ever done with a high-paying client, so I had to get it right. I made a few touch ups with the paint before standing, feeling pleased with my work.

Looking around, I realized I was the only one left here. When had everyone left? The clock on the wall said it was eight. I put my tools away, thinking about what I'd do tonight, since it was Friday. Most likely call one of the guys to grab a beer. I felt my phone vibrate, the screen showing I had one new text.

_Ashley had the baby, come by the hospital-Jacob _

I sighed as I finished putting my tools away and cleaning my workspace; another baby was born into the pack. Within twenty minutes, I walked into the hospital waiting room, where the pack took up majority of the room.

"Hey, guys," I said, taking a chair across from Jacob, Collin, and Paul, and all of them said their hellos.

"Have you seen the baby yet?" I asked.

"No. Ness popped out to say he was born, and she was going to help them situated before we can see them. Seth was taking Abby into the room first," Jacob explained. "Seems like it's been a while."

"You just want Ness to be out here," Paul said, causing Jacob to snort.

_What in the world were they talking about? _I raised my eyebrow at Collin, who rolled his eyes. We talked for the next thirty minutes before Ness came out. I was surprised when Jacob pulled her into his lap. She turned red as he wrapped his arms around her.

When had they entered into the romantic part of imprinting?

"Jake," Nessie said, trying to pull away from him. "They're ready for us to see the baby."

"You knew I couldn't resist," Jacob whispered into her ear.

She rolled her eyes but kissed him on the cheek as we all stood. Jacob took Ness' hand as we walked toward the room. An aching developed between my shoulders, but I shrugged it off as we walked into the tiny hospital room. In Ashley's arms was a tiny baby. Seth watched his wife and newborn with a huge smile as he held Abby.

"What's his name?" Rachel asked.

"He Jordan," Abby said. "My budder."

I smiled and shook my head at her. Everyone took turns holding Jordan as I watched from the corner. The women fawned over the baby, which I didn't get. He looked like all of the other babies that had been born into the pack. His face was squashed and red. Time seemed to go slowly, but luckily the nurse claimed visiting hours were over, and I quickly left with Collin.

"Do you want to get a drink tomorrow?" I asked as we walked to our cars.

"Can't, I'm going over to spend time with Nina," he said with a huge grin on his face. "We're going hunting."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Great, another Saturday alone, _I thought. It was becoming way too often. The guys seemed to be spending more and more time with their imprints and families. I understood, it just made me feel out of the loop because I didn't have anyone to spend that special time with.

I walked to my car and drove home to apartments. Pulling into my usual spot, I quickly turned off the car and went up stairs. As I reached the second level landing, my eyes met with a girl that lived next door. I knew someone moved in about a week ago, but this was the first time that I saw who.

Her strawberry colored hair was worn down to her lower back. She was petite while wearing short-shorts that showed off her legs. She was cute. She noticed me just as she opened her door as she looked over her shoulder at me.

"Hey," I said quickly.

"Hey," she said blushing.

Our eyes maintained contact as I walked by and she stepped into her apartment. She broke off the eye contact when someone said something behind her. With one last glance at my cute neighbor, I strode over to my apartment to open the door.

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Brady's point of view:**

I balanced two large pizzas and a six pack of beer in one hand as I pulled my keys out of my pocket. Careful not to drop the pizzas, I put the keys into the lock before I felt a body slam into me. Blinking in surprise, I looked down to see my cute, red-headed neighbor sprawled on the floor.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going," she said, turning red. "I guess I shouldn't text, listen to music, and walk at the same time."

"It's all right." I offered my free hand to her and pulled her up.

Her face was still red as she took out her earbuds.

"I'm Brady," I said, reaching out my hand.

"I'm Brianna." She shook my hand with her tiny one.

"So, how long have you been in Forks?" I asked, leaning against my door.

"Not long," Brianna admitted. "I came to get a new start, and I fell in love with the town."

"Forks, really?"

"It has its charm." She gave me a big smile. "Well, I'd better let you get to your dinner."

"Would you like to join me?" I blurted out, surprising myself.

"Oh, um …"

"I won't take no for an answer." I gave her my best smile.

"Sure." She smiled back at me.

I opened the door, careful not to drop the pizza or beer. I kicked myself mentally when I saw the mess, wishing that I had cleaned the place. Empty beer cans littered the table and dirty clothes lay across the floor.

"Sorry -uh- about the mess," I muttered as I placed the pizza boxes on the coffee table.

"It's all right." Brianna smiled sheepishly while putting her iPod in her purse.

"I'll -um- grab some plates. Don't go anywhere."

I ducked into the kitchen and grabbed two plates.

"Do you want some beer or something?" I called out.

"I'll take some water, if that's okay."

"Sure thing."

I quickly pulled out a cup and filled it with ice and water. I made my way back into the living room where Brianna was looking through my DVDs.

"Do you want to watch something?" I asked, making her jump.

"No, that's okay." She smiled at me sheepishly.

"You sure?" I asked, leaning into her.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"We'll watch something next time." I gave her a wide smile.

"Boy, assuming that I'll hang out with you again?" she teased.

"Had to make sure I see you again." I winked and she flushed slightly. "You ready to eat?"

"Sure."

We sat down on the couch, and I handed her the plate and water.

"Ladies first," I said, flipping open one of the pizza boxes.

"Thanks."

She took two slices before I put four on my plate. We ate in a comfortable silence while I studied her. Her eyes studied the room as she took in everything around her. Her long red hair flowed over her shoulders. It look very soft, and as if she knew what I was thinking, Brianna looked at me.

"So what do you do?" she asked.

"I build custom motorcycles," I explained.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Yeah, we create motorcycles for clients, usually unique designs and the like." I shrugged my shoulders.

"That big building near just off the highway?" she asked.

"That's the one. What do you do?"

"I just got a job at a beauty salon." She shrugged.

"And you chose to find one in Forks because …"

"Like I said, I fell in love with the town," she said, shrugging casually. "I grew up with my father in a rural community, and I wanted to live in a town that wasn't too big. Forks just seemed perfect to me."

"Just you and your dad?" I blurted out.

"Yeah," she said, hesitating. "I never knew my mom."

"Same with my dad." I took a huge bite a pizza, finishing off the slice.

We ate in silence for a few minutes as I thought of something else to ask her. I wanted to know more about her.

"So any hobbies?" I asked.

"I love to hike. My dad and I do that a lot," she explained, grabbing a napkin off the coffee table.

"There's some great hiking around here," I said. "Just stay on the trail."

"Of course. My dad gave me the same lecture." She rolled her eyes. "Do you know of a place where I can get good hiking gear?"

"Newton's has some stuff. I could take you there sometime."

"Oh, that'd be great. I was kind of thinking of going soon so I can get some stuff. I'm planning on going hiking this weekend or next, and my boots are worn out."

"I'd love to go with you," I said.

"Me too." She blushed while I grinned at her.

The loneliness that I'd been feeling lately lessoned some as we continued to talk. Maybe I wouldn't have to worry about imprinting anymore? We talked for hours until she started to yawn.

"I should let you go," I said.

"Thank you for dinner."

"No problem," I said smiling at her while we stood.

I walked her to her door.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, hoping that I didn't sound as anxious as I felt.

"Sure. I'm working until four, so I'll meet you here at five?"

"Sounds great."

I went back to my apartment with a grin on my face. I _finally_ had a date.

**Rosalie's point of view:**

Emmett and I rocked our daughter throughout the night while she slept restfully. Oftentimes her eyes would flutter open and couldn't focus on anything. I wished I could hold her closer to my body, but my cold may cause her to feel more pain. Carlisle injected her with a high dose of ibuprofen to help get her fever down and to relieve the pain, and after that she seemed to sleep better.

The rest of the family came into the room to keep watch throughout the night. Their worry was written over their faces as we held Arian. In the morning, Esme brought a sippy cup filled a quarter of the way with blood and water. She drank some of it, but threw it up a half hour later.

As the sun came up, she curled into a little ball, and her face became pale.

"What's going on, Carlisle?" I asked my father. "It's like she isn't getting better."

"I think her muscle cramps are getting worse." Carlisle ran his hands over her body. She must've been feeling so bad; she didn't even react to his presence while he inspected her. "I sent Esme and Alice out to get a heating pad. I think it'll help her relax."

"My baby," I whispered.

I moved her so her head was resting against my shoulder. Her hand fisted in my shirt while a whimper escaped her mouth. Closing my eyes, I felt Emmett's arms tighten around my waist. A shutter ran through my body as Arian's fist held onto me tighter. I never thought I could feel such pain as I did in that moment. Nothing had affected me this way, not even when I found Emmett nearly dead. I physically _hurt_ for her.

"She's going to be okay, love," Emmett whispered into my ear.

"I just hurt for her, Em." My voice cracked as I tried to steady my emotions.

I felt Emmett hold me tighter. He didn't say anything, but I felt his lips kiss my neck carefully. He didn't have to say anything to make me feel better. My free hand intertwined with his large one.

"Carlisle wants to set up the heating pad," Emmett whispered.

I opened my eyes, surprised to find Alice and Esme standing in the room. Carlisle pulled a heating blanket out of the box. He plugged it in and explained to us how it worked. I swaddled my daughter in the blanket, which took effect as it turned on and warmed up. Her body relaxed against me, and she fell into a deep sleep. Several hours later, her eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning," I whispered as Arian blinked up at me. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded.

"Can Emmett bring you something?" I asked.

Arian looked past me and to Emmett, she slowly nodded. Emmett stood up, taking us with him in his massive arms, but he carefully turned so that I was sitting in the rocking chair. Emmett returned quickly with a bottle of blood. The moment the bottle was in my hand, Arian's head turned toward the cup while her nostrils flared. She started to drink when the nipple reached her lips. She drank the bottle within a matter of moments, and fell asleep shortly after. Carlisle checked her body, running his hands over gently.

"I think she's out of the woods," he explained.

"How can we be sure?" I asked.

"Time," Carlisle said simply. "I promise she'll be fine."

I nodded as Carlisle squeezed my hand sympathetically. My eyes met his, and it was if he knew what I was feeling. Esme had told me that they'd been worried about when I'd been changed. I doubted it'd been this intense, but now I could see it reflected in his eyes. I leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, earning another squeeze.

That marked another time of waiting. Arian slept for longer than normal, but she kept her meal down this time. When she woke up, I gave her another bath. The days slowly progressed as she became better physically. She started sleeping less and eating more. She gained weight, much to our comfort.

Her emotional progress was the complete opposite. She trusted Emmett, or at least seemed to be more relaxed in his presence. Jasper told me that she didn't seem to mind him being there, but with the other men, she felt tense. I felt glad that she could feel comfortable around Emmett, but I wanted the others be uncles and a grandfather to her, much like they were to Nessie, Tala, and Nina.

"Rosalie," Jasper said. "You need to stop worrying. She's making progress. It's slow, but it's getting better. Relax."

I nodded as I felt Jasper's calming waves hit me. Later that night, we had a setback. I sat with Emmett in the rocking chair while Arian slept in her bed. I read a book while Emmett did the same. His large hand ran over my back as we sat quietly.

"That feels nice," I muttered.

I heard him hum and his lips caress my neck. I closed my eyes, enjoying the closeness with my husband and best friend. My eyes opened when I heard Arian whimper. She didn't make the noise again, but her hand tightened around her blanket. Her body was still for a moment before she started to whimper again, and her breathing became labored.

I moved to sit on the bed and placed my hand on her. The moment I touched her, her eyes flew opened wide. She looked disoriented, and she moved away from me, something she'd never done before. It stung that she felt afraid of me.

"Arian?" I asked as she started to cry.

"Leo?" she whispered.

"It's Rose," I told her. "You're safe."

Her eyes focused on something, but it was as if she wasn't seeing or hearing me. She was miles away, experiencing something else. Jasper and Edward were standing over me the next moment. I could tell Jasper was using his power to feel calm; her eyes refocused, her body relaxed, and her hand let go of the blanket.

"She was in that room again, with one of those vampires," Edward said.

"Did you see his face?" Emmett asked quickly.

"I couldn't; it was too dark. I saw his hands with a needle, injecting her with something." Edward shook his head. "She thought she was back there."

"Mommy." Arian's voice broke.

I picked her up in my arms, cradling her close to my body, making us feel secure.

"I'm here, baby," I told her.

"Where Leo?"

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Six weeks later:**

Mommy poured water over my head as she bathed me again. The warm water ran over my body, making my hurts feel better. Even though there were no experiments, I sometimes felt sore and I got sick. Mommy said because people got sick sometimes, and I got really sick a long time ago. I felt a lot better, but sometimes my body hurt a little.

I smiled up at her as she ran a wash cloth over my body. I really liked her. She had taken care of me for a long time, and I felt warm inside now. It made me feel so good that I have a mommy now, and a Esme, and Aunt Alice, and Aunt Bella.

After she dried me off, I put on my warm pajamas. She let me choose a book before cuddling on her lap.

The book talked about mommies and daddies and a family. The little puppy in the book had a mommy who took care of her. Rose did that for me. Rose was my mommy, but was the rest of the family like that for me? They took care of me, and Esme, Aunt Bella, and Aunt Alice played with me a lot. Esme made me really good food with milk, but was that what a family was? What was Emmett's job?

As she rocked me to sleep, I cuddled into her chest. I felt so peaceful when she held me. In the morning, I woke up in my pretty pink bed. I got out of bed, knowing that Esme would have a yummy breakfast and milk. I love milk, and Esme always had it. When I walked into the kitchen, I stopped. Esme wasn't there, but Edward and Jasper were.

They never hurt me, but Mommy wasn't here, so I felt scared. I looked down at my feet as I started to feel calm. Looking back up, I noticed Emmett was in the room now. Sometimes I really wanted Emmett to hold me and play with me, but I was scared he would hurt me. He was so big. I knew Mommy liked him a lot; they even kissed sometimes!

I looked down again as I bit my lip. I felt very hungry; and I really wanted my milk. Maybe I could ask him because Mommy wasn't here. Looking back up, I noticed Emmett was crouched down. He didn't look so scary like that, and I really wanted my milk.

"May … may I, I have milk p-please," I whispered.

"Sure can," Emmett said, smiling at me.

A moment later, he had a large glass of milk and was crouching in front of me again. I carefully took the glass from him. I took a big drink as Emmett smiled at me warmly. Maybe he is nice? He got me milk. I went to get another drink, but I dropped the glass. Emmett moved so fast that he caught it before it hit the ground.

Emmett would be mad at me, and so would Esme for me almost getting her clean house dirty. Emmett's big hands held out the glass for me with a smile on his face. So he wasn't mad? I slowly moved my hands to get the cup, but by accident, I touched his hand. They were the same as Father's hands because they were big and cold.

I remembered how they would hit, pinch, and inject things into me. It was if I was back with Father as he hurt and experimented on me. I tried to remember Mommy's promise to never let them hurt me, but she wasn't here. He'd hurt me because no girls or Leo were here. I took my hands away from Emmett and clasped my shirt and slowly moved away from him. I felt like I couldn't breath as Emmett watched me carefully, and fear and dread filled me. I didn't want to remember the bad men.

To my surprise Emmett reached out and took me in his arms. He held me like Mommy did; his large arms held me close to his chest before his hand ran up and down my back. I held onto his shirt as I started to cry and didn't let get go.

"Shhh, I'm here," Emmett whispered. "No one's going to hurt you."

I felt a calmness run through me when Emmett said this. Did he mean it? He did not hurt, but hugged me instead. I hugged him back tightly, and this helped me to stop crying. My heart felt warm, just like when Mommy and Leo held me. Emmett was a boy like Leo who make me safe.

"You like Leo," I said.

"Like Leo?" Emmett asked me.

"He hugged me and made me safe, just like you."

"I promised to keep you safe, didn't I?" he asked, and I nodded against his big chest. "That's what families do."

I hugged him tighter. He held me as he stood up.

"Are you hungry?" Emmett asked.

"I like eggs," I told him.

"You do?" he asked, surprised.

"Esme can make it."

"Do you want to help me try?" Emmett set me down on the counter, something Esme or Mommy wouldn't do with me.

"Yes, please."

I watched him pull out a pan and eggs. He helped me to crack them and mix them before putting them on the place to heat them up. I sat on the counter watching Emmett cook them.

When he finished, he put the eggs on a small plate for me and got a fork.

"It hot?" I asked. Maybe he would've made it wrong. Esme cooked a lot, but I wasn't sure about Emmett cooking. It might not be good.

"I'll blow on it." Emmett picked up the plate and blew on them. I giggled, making Emmett laugh with me.

I took the fork while Emmett held the plate. Mommy taught me how to use a fork since I'm a big girl now.

"This is yummy," I told Emmett.

"Did you think I can't cook?" he asked.

"Esme always cook," I told him. "You only drink blood."

"That's true." He laughed again and looked very happy.

"Thank you for breakfast," I said, feeling shy when I was done.

"You're welcome, Pumpkin." He smiled warmly at me.

"We need to clean the dishes, or Esme will be mad!"

"Is that so?"

I nodded.

"Okay then. You'll help me?"

We filled the sink with water and bubbles. Emmett let me use a special sponge to clean the dish while his large, safe hands held me. He dried the plate and fork off when it was cleaned off.

"We made a pretty good team, Pumpkin," Emmett said, putting the dish away.

I smiled at him and nodded. He was nice, like Leo. Would he play with me?

"Emmett?" I said softly.

"Yes?" he said, just as quiet.

"Will you play with me?" I said it super quietly. Because I felt very shy, but I knew he'd hear me.

"I'd like that. I wanted to play with you for a long time." Emmett lifted me off the counter. "What do you want to play?"

"We can color," I whispered.

"I'd love that."

Emmett took me into my room, where Mommy kept the crayons and paper. He put me down on the floor, and I sat down at the chair and table. He quickly grabbed the crayons and paper, and I was surprised when he sat down at the table with me. He was so big, and this table and chairs were made for kids!

"What do you want to draw?" Emmett asked, putting the paper and crayons between us.

"We can make Mommy a picture," I said. "And one for Esme too."

Emmett handed me the crayons to color for Mommy and Esme. I drew Esme a picture of flowers because she had a pretty garden of them outside. Emmett said Mommy would love a picture of her and I together, so that's what I drew. I even drew Emmett on there, which seemed to make him very happy.

When we finished, we hung the pictures on the fridge to keep them safe. I started to feel sleepy after that. We'd been coloring for a long time. Emmett got me a cup with blood and milk, and I was careful to hold it this time. We sat on the couch while he put on some game where people jumped into a pile. I didn't understand it, but I was too sleepy and full to care. I drifted off to sleep, feeling very safe.

**Emmett's point of view:**

My hand ran over my daughter's blond curls and down her back. _My daughter._ Even though I'd held her while she slept countless times, I never felt as bonded to her as I did now, not after the day we spent together. She counted on me for food and play, much like she did Rose and Esme. I totally felt like her father. After years of waiting and pain, it was about time.

"You deserve this, Emmett," Edward muttered.

I rolled my eyes.

"If you were any happier, Em," Jasper murmured, not taking his eyes off of the football game.

"You're next, Jazz."

Jasper snorted as we went back to the game. There was truth though, I was happy with my daughter in my life. I wanted to be a parent, not as much as Rose, but the desire was there. Not that I didn't have my doubts when Arian came to us, especially helping her overcome her emotional pain.

That was the hardest to see my little girl start to make emotional progress and my wife fall into the role of mother to have that fall apart. When Arian withdrew from us, I didn't know if we'd overcome it. She had nightmares and wouldn't eat, as well as not responding to Esme an Rosalie's touch. It killed me to see Arian's pain and the rejection in Rosalie's eyes.

Slowly, thankfully, she came around. She started to drink more blood and relax around Rosalie. It took her a few more weeks before she trusted me again. Today I finally fell into place as Arian's father.

**Unknown point of view:**

He watched her as she entered the room, unaware of his presence, just like he wanted. She seemed distracted as she wandered around the house, idly picking up odds and ends. This worried him. Maybe she shouldn't be a part of this. They could make her become … soft, make her forget her true mission. Too bad the others didn't have her skills. Eventually, she wandered into the kitchen to clean up pile of dirty dishes in the sink. It was silent in the house for a few moments.

"I know you're there," she said, not bothering to turn around. "You think my father wouldn't train me on this?"

The man dropped his shields, allowing himself to be fully seen for the first time since she came in. She turned around, folded her arms, and glared at him.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Father wanted me to give you a message."

"And?" she asked impatiently.

"We're going after the other group next week, so we need to be ready here," the man explained. "And we think one of them will be with the other group."

"Oh good, one less for us to go after," she said, her voice full of sarcasm.

"What's with you? I thought you'd be chomping at the bit to get this finished."

"Who said I'm not?"

"Whatever. Just be ready to go next week," the boy said, walking towards the open window.

He disappeared from sight again as the young woman watched him anxiously.

**Reviews are much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Brady's point of view: **

"Are you sure this is okay?" Brianna asked as she clutched his hand, walking toward the bonfire.

"It's fine," I said, squeezing her hand gently.

We continued to walk towards the beach, towards my pack family. The fire was going and quite large. Many of the kids were running around with their cousins. I heard Brianna's heartbeat pick up as we neared the group. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her swallow hard.

"Hey? Are you all right?" I asked, stopping us from walking.

"I'm nervous. I mean, I've never met a boyfriend's family before." She bit her lip.

"They'll like you as much as I do." I trailed my fingers across her cheek.

Leaning down, I gave her a quick kiss on the lips. She grinned at me as I threaded our fingers together. Turning, we made our way to the bonfire. Brianna clutched my hand when we reached my family; I gave her a gentle squeeze in return.

"Uncle Brady!" Abby yelled, her little legs carrying her towards me as fast as she could go.

"Hey there, Abby," I said, letting go of Brianna's hand to pick up the toddler.

I gave the little girl a kiss on the cheek as she hugged me around my neck.

"I miss," she said.

"You missed me?" I asked.

"A whole lot!"

"I missed you, too, baby girl."

"Who that?" Abby asked, looking at Brianna.

"She's my special friend," I explained. "Do you want to meet her?"

"Yes peeze," Abby said.

"Abby, this is Brianna. Brianna, this is Abby," I said.

"Hello." Brianna smiled at Abby.

"Hewwo." Abby smiled back at Brianna. "You eat wif us?"

"Yes, I'll eat with you."

"Mommy n me made food," Abby said. "Me and Uncle Brady show you."

"I'd like that."

"Let's go, Uncle Brady," Abby said loudly.

Abby scrambled out of my arms. Setting her down, she took off toward the table.

"We should follow the little hostess," I said, grabbing Brianna's hand.

"She's a cutie," Brianna responded. "Totally has you wrapped around her finger."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Ashley said, approaching us, Jordan in the crook of her arm. "Hi, I'm Ashley, Brady's sister-in-law."

"Brianna." She stuck her hand out.

Ashley shook Brianna's hand without jostling the baby.

"Oh, he's so adorable." Brianna cooed over the baby. "What's his name?"

"Jordan," Ashley replied, beaming at her son. "I know you met my daughter already."

"She's a sweet girl." Brianna beamed.

"You'd better come get some food before the guys start to eat." Ashley turned to lead Brianna to the table covered with food.

They talked with each other as they filled their plates with their food. Grinning, I watched Brianna with my family. I'd been worried that she'd have trouble fitting in, since she wasn't my imprint. She talked easily with Ashley and Emily as they sat on a blanket. I slowly, I relaxed as I realized that Brianna was being accepted by my family. That was, until I talked with Leah.

"I think you're an idiot," Leah said out of the side of her mouth.

"Why?" I sighed, knowing there was no way Leah would let me leave without hearing her opinion first.

"You're going to imprint and she'll be brokenhearted. She seems sweet, so I'd hate for her to go through the same thing I had to."

"You were sweet before Sam imprinted?" I asked sarcastically.

Even though Felix had mellowed Leah out majorly, she was still hard to deal with at times. She punched me hard. I rubbed my arm, frowning at her.

"It's your choice, brother."

"Of course, dear, sweet sister," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

I folded my arms, watching Brianna talk with my family. She seemed to belong here. Abby hugged her as she helped her roast a marshmallow.

"Are you going up to the Cullens' tomorrow?" I asked grabbing a drink for my sister and me.

"No. We thought it might be a little too … crowded if we went, too," Leah said.

"Crowded?"

"For Arian, the little girl they took in," Leah said. "Remember?"

"Oh, right." I didn't remember much about her. Only that they found her in the woods and she was abused by male vampires; who they desperately wanted to find. I was sure we'd be there with them when they did.

"Though she may not respond well to Felix."

"But it's okay for Jacob and Seth to go?"

"They can phase." Leah shrugged. "They think she'll be less afraid of them when they are, but they want her to meet Nessie and Abby. Be around a child her age and someone who is a hybrid."

I nodded, not really listening. I doubted I'd have much interaction with the girl. Over the next couple of hours, we ate, finishing off the food. I sat next to Brianna when we finished eating with my arm wrapped around her while she held a sleeping Abby. I kissed Brianna's temple as she smiled up at me. She was perfect. Eventually, everyone started to leave, most wanting to get the kids to bed.

"It was nice meeting you," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Brianna in a hug.

"It was nice meeting you, too." Brianna smiled sadly. I'd have to ask her about that later.

"We have lunch with just us girls every week," Emily said. "I'll have to bother Brady for your number."

"That'd be nice."

Emily squeezed Brianna's hand before going home with Sam. I led Brianna to my truck with my arm around her shoulder. As we drove home, I noticed Briana was awfully quiet.

"Are you all right?" I asked her as I pulled into a parking spot.

"I'm fine … just tired." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Just missing … my dad."

I pulled her closer to me.

"I'm sorry, love."

"It's okay. I'll just call him when we get home."

We walked into the apartment building; I intended to follow her into her apartment. I wanted to be alone with her, but she stopped me.

"I'll be over to your place in a few," she reached up to whisper into my ear. "Be ready."

Grinning like crazy, I went to my place quickly.

**Rosalie's point of view:**

"What are these, Mommy?" Arian asked as I pulled her onto my lap while we sat on the floor in her room.

"They're picture albums," I explained, pulling the photo albums next to us. "We have some family coming."

"Family? But we have a Esme, and Aunt Alice, and Aunt Bella here. And Emmett, too," Arian said, her blue eyes wide.

"That's true." I smiled at her. "But not all of our family lives together. We have some more family that lives in another place, and they want to visit us."

"Oh."

"Would you want to see pictures of them?" I asked.

Arian nodded slowly. I opened the first photo album, which contained many pictures of Renesmee mixed with our family as well as the pack.

"She's a girl just like me, Mommy," Arian whispered.

"Yes, she is." I kissed Arian's head.

"She likes Edward a lot." Her voice was full of surprise. She pointed to one of her and Edward together, his arm wrapped around Ness.

"That's her daddy. He takes care of her."

"Just like Emmett and me!"

"Yes, just like Emmett and you." I smiled.

"I see her?"

"She'll be here tomorrow."

"I can play with her?"

"Of course, my love. She wants to play with you. There will be another girl, too."

"A girl like Renesmee and me?"

"Abby's little, and she doesn't drink blood. Her parents are human, so we have to be careful, okay?"

"You have pictures?"

"Of course."

I never heard Arian ask so many questions before.

"She little, like me!" Arian said after a few pictures.

"Yes, she is."

"That a baby?" Arian asked, pointing to Seth and Ashley's baby.

"It is. Jordan is Abby's little brother," I explained. "He'll be here, too."

Arian nodded as we finished looking at the pictures of Seth's family. I felt hopeful about the visit, and that it'd be good for Arian. She needed to be around hybrids as well as children her developmental age. However, I felt nervous for any setbacks this could cause. She had been doing so well over the last month, and I didn't think I could deal with the heartbreak of watching my daughter suffer again.

The next morning, I brushed Arian's hair while Alice looked for the "perfect" outfit for her.

"Alice, she's going to be playing. She doesn't need to wear a dress," I told my sister when she held up a pink dress.

"She'd look so cute in this one." Alice pouted.

"I'm sure you'll find another time for her to wear it. Get her a 'play' outfit."

Alice sighed dramatically as I finished putting in Arian's hair ties for her pigtails. Alice laid out a simple outfit: shorts and a shirt with a purple heart that said "I love Daddy." It was one of my favorites. A moment later, the door bell rang. Alice squealed as she went downstairs to help answer the door, no doubt to try and hold the baby first.

We heard the voices drift upstairs of everyone saying hello and fawning over Abby and Jordan. Arian's heartbeat picked up as I pulled her shirt over her head.

"Are you nervous?" I asked.

She nodded and stuck her head on my chest. So it was back to being shy again? I walked us down stairs at a slow, human pace. When I came to the landing, I smiled as I saw my family. Esme held Jordan as Bella and Alice cooed over the little baby. Edward hugged Ness close to him. Carlisle held Abby as he gave her a large kiss. When she was born early, Carlisle worked hours with her, taking personal leave to take care of her. They had a special bond.

"Candy, Gannpa?" Abby asked, looking in his front pocket.

"I think I may have something in there," he muttered to her.

"Candy! Mommy I candy!" Abby yelled pulling out a small sucker.

"Did you find candy? Spoiling my daughter already, Carlisle?" Ashley asked.

"You know I can't resist spoiling my grandchildren." Carlisle gave her a sheepish smile.

Arian's hands tightened on my shirt, and I ran my hand down her back. Ness moved to my side.

"Is this Arian?" she asked.

"This is." I smiled at my niece. "She's feeling a little shy. Arian, do you want to meet your cousin?"

Arian slowly looked at Ness, her blue eyes curious and scared.

"Hello, Arian," Nessie whispered.

Arian watched Nessie cautiously for a few minutes.

"Hello," she whispered.

"It's nice to meet you. Your mommy told me a lot about you," Nessie whispered.

"Mommy showed me pictures," Arian said.

"Showed you pictures?"

"Of you and Edward, and of Abby and of baby Jordan," Arian explained.

Nessie and I laughed.

"She's so beautiful, Aunt Rosalie," Ness said, standing up. "I'm happy for you."

She gave me a one armed hug.

"Thanks, Ness. I've never been happier."

Arian continued to watch wide eyed as she held onto my shirt.

"Would you like to show Nessie your room?" I asked her, and she nodded slowly.

"I'd love to see your room." Nessie smiled at Arian.

We walked upstairs, talking about Nessie's drive over and how she was doing in La Push.

"I love living with Charlie and Sue," she said as we came upstairs. "I'm glad I can have some time with him, get to know him better."

"I bet he loves having you there." I opened Arian's door.

"Oh, I love this room. I'd love to decorate a room like this when I have children."

"Hope you and Jacob aren't at the point yet, Ness."

"We just started dating, Aunt Rose." She avoided my eyes. I wanted to press further, but Arian interrupted me.

"We play?" she asked, looking at Nessie, seeming to gain her boldness back since we came upstairs.

"I'd love to play," Ness said. "What do you want to play, pretty girl?"

"I have dolls." Arian pushed away from me, and I set her on the floor.

I leaned against the door frame, watching my daughter blossom as she played with Nessie. Arian showed Nessie how to play with the dolls, much like we did when we first found her. I felt Emmett wrap his arms around my waist as he stepped up behind me.

"How are my girls doing?" Emmett asked.

"Pretty good." I pressed my lips together as he kissed my neck.

"Uncle Emmett, do you have to do that here?" Nessie asked as Arian handed her a small doll brush.

"Any chance to gross you out, kiddo." Emmett smirked.

Ness shook her head at him before she continued playing.

"We should let them play," Emmett muttered into my ear. "Go downstairs."

I hesitated; I didn't want to leave my baby.

"We'll be fine, Aunt Rose." Nessie gave me a smile. "We could use some cousin bonding time."

I sighed, knowing that it'd be good for Arian and Ness to play together for a while. Emmett held my hand as we headed downstairs again. Bella held Jordan, as she smiled down at him. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I headed over to my younger sister. Jordan was sleeping, but his bottom lip stuck out and his eyebrows were drawn together.

"He looks crabby, doesn't he?" Bella asked.

"He's a complete opposite of Abby, that's for sure," I said.

"I don't know how my babies are so different," Ashley said from the couch, snuggled up to Seth's side, while Jacob sat on the seat next to the couple. "Abby hardly cried; this one cries all the time. Good thing he likes car rides."

"If you need a break, we'll watch him while you catch up on your sleep or if you guys need a date night," I said.

"You seem to have your hands full with Arian," Ashley commented.

"I do, but she's come such a long way." I smiled sadly.

"She's totally worth it though," Ashley said.

"I'd have to agree with you on that."

We smiled, understanding each other as mothers

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Arian's point of view:**

Nessie and I held hands as we walked down stairs. It was time for lunch, and Nessie ate food, just like me. I felt very glad to have Nessie here, and she seemed just as happy to be here.

"Nessie?" I asked.

"Yes?" She smiled at me.

"Why are your fingers blue?"

"Why are my fingers blue?" She looked surprised.

"There." I pointed to the end of her fingers, where the blue was.

"Oh, that's nail polish," Nessie explained. "You can paint your nails different colors."

"Your mommy lets you?" I asked.

"Yes, she does." Nessie giggled.

"They're very pretty," I whispered shyly.

"Thank you. Maybe your mommy will let us paint your nails."

"Really?"

"Yes, after lunch though."

"Okay!" I felt very excited.

Nessie and I went into the kitchen, still holding hands, Mommy and Aunt Bella and Aunt Alice sat at the counter while my Esme made lunch.

"Mommy, look at Nessie's blue nails," I said, pointing to them.

"Her blue nails, huh?" Mommy asked.

"She said if that if you said it's okay, we can paint mine too," I explained to her.

"That's okay with me." Mommy smiled at me while Aunt Alice, Nessie, and Aunt Bella laughing gently.

"Thank you, Mommy." I grinned at her.

Nessie and I sat by each other eating the food and milk Esme gave us. After I drank my milk, I felt very sleepy and I wanted my nap, but I wanted my nails painted more. When the dishes were done, Nessie went to go get her special colors, and I waited patiently at the kitchen counter. When Nessie came back, she had many colored jars in her hands.

"Do you know what color you want, Miss Arian?" Nessie asked as she sat down next to me.

"I like pink a lot. Aunt Alice got me a pink bed," I said.

"Like this pink?" She held up a pink bottle of nail polish.

I nodded excitedly.

"Okay. Now hold your hands like this." She held out her hands, her fingers spread.

I did the same. "Like this?"

"Perfect."

She opened the lid to the bottle and pulled out a short brush that had the pink paint on it. She took my fingers and painted the pretty pink color on each one of my nails. When she was done, she did the same with my other hand. I felt warm inside while she painted.

"We'll have to let them dry now, pretty girl," Nessie said when she finished painting my little finger. "Okay?"

"Okay," I whispered. "Nessie?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Mommy, look at my nails!" I held my hands up.

"Oh, they look very nice, Arian," Mommy said.

"Can I show my Emmett?" I asked.

"You sure can," Nessie said, lifting me from the seat. "Just be careful not to touch anything, or you'll ruin the paint."

Nessie and I walked into the living room. Edward and Jasper were there with Emmett, but I ignored them. Moving quickly, I went to Emmett, who pulled me onto his lap.

"Look at my nails," I whispered to him. "Nessie painted them for me."

"They look beautiful, Pumpkin," he whispered back to me.

I yawned widely.

"Did you wear her out, Ness?" Emmett asked as I leaned my head against his chest.

Nessie said something to Emmett, but I didn't hear it. Nessie and I had played for a long time, and I was tired. Slowly, I fell asleep, listening to the voices around me. It was soothing. I heard voices all around me talking quietly.

Opening my eyes slowly, I saw that we were still in the living room. Strong arms held me close to their body. I looked up, seeing Emmett's nice face.

"Sleep well, Pumpkin?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Yes," I said hugging him.

He kissed my head, and I sighed.

"She's a daddy's girl?" I heard Nessie's voice ask.

"Sure is." Emmett's voice sounded loud when I rested my head on his chest.

A giggling sound came from outside, and I looked up. Outside was the little girl, Abby, playing with two huge dogs. They were giant, and larger than Abby. The large dogs should be dangerous, but they weren't acting that way. Abby squealed as one the smaller one licked her cheek. She hugged the dog around the neck; they even let her! My hand tightened on Emmett's shirt.

"Are you okay, Pumpkin?" Emmett whispered.

"The … the dogs are big …" I said.

"They are friendly dogs," Emmett reassured me. "We wouldn't let them be here if they weren't, remember?"

Emmett and Mommy said they wouldn't let anyone hurt me, so they must be okay, and Abby seemed to love them. I nodded slowly.

"They are my friends," Nessie said.

My eyes went wide.

"They … are?" I whispered.

Nessie sat next to Edward, leaning into him.

"Yes." Nessie smiled. "They can be your friends too."

I didn't know if I wanted to be their friend; they were really big, and I felt afraid.

"We can just watch them play," Emmett said, his big hand running down my back.

I nodded against his chest.

"Do you want to go outside to watch them play?" Emmett asked.

I thought about it. Did I want to? Abby giggled again. She was having fun, so maybe I would too. I nodded again. Emmett stood up slowly and walked outside. I held on to him tightly.

"I've got you, Pumpkin," he whispered into my ear. "I promise they won't hurt you."

Emmett held me close as we watched the two large dogs. Nessie went up and petted the bigger one that was kind of red. He pushed his head against hers, as if he liked being touched by her. His large tail went back and forth.

"He happy, Emmett?" I whispered.

"He's very happy," Emmett whispered back.

Nessie squatted down next to the giant dog, who licked her cheek gently. She smiled widely.

"Do you want to meet him?" Nessie asked. "I promise he won't bite. He doesn't bite anyone."

"He better not," Emmett said.

Nessie gave Emmett a bad look, but he just grinned at her.

"Do you want to pet him?" Emmett asked, crouching.

I felt unsure. Putting my head on his chest, I thought about it for a minute. They were big dogs with teeth, but Nessie and Abby felt happy with the doggies, and Emmett would stop them if they tried to bite me. His big, gentle hands would become mean hands if they needed to be.

I opened my eyes. I could be brave like Nessie. Emmett was sitting on the ground, and Nessie was now playing with the other dog along with Abby. I looked back to the bigger dog with red fur. He was lying on his belly, but he was almost as tall as Emmett. Slowly, he crawled toward us. My hands clasped together, and I pushed my body back toward Emmett. The dog stopped crawling and patiently waited in front of us.

Emmett put out his hand, and I wanted to tell him no, but he petted the dog. I knew the dog would bite him. There were some dogs that were mean, and these dogs knew how to fight, I knew they did. I waited for him to bite, but he never did.

"He didn't bite you," I whispered.

"These dogs don't bite us," Emmett said. "Only the bad guys."

"They no bite because we are good?"

"Of course, Pumpkin."

Emmett stopped petting to hold me close, but the dog still wanted attention. He pushed his body close to us, his head almost on Emmett's lap where I was. A large pink tongue slowly licked my arm. I pulled it back quickly. He licked me!

"He's saying hello, Pumpkin," Emmett whispered. "He likes you. You should say hello back."

Even though the doggy didn't bite me, I still felt a little scared. Very slowly, I reached my hand out to touch the dog. The top of his fur was very soft and warm. I liked it. I pushed my fingers through his hair. When he raised his head, I jumped and turned in Emmett's arms.

"He was just lifting his head because he liked you petting him, Pumpkin," Emmett said. "It's okay."

Turning around again, the doggy was still lying there. I wanted to touch him again, so I put out my hand. His fur was still soft and warm. After a few minutes he started to lick my hand again. It tickled, and I started to giggle.

"That tickles, Emmett!"

Emmett laughed loud as the dog tickled me with his licks.

**Brady's point of view:**

Flipping the pancakes, I whistled. Last night had been amazing. I didn't get any sleep, but it was worth it to see Brianna calling my name from under me. And on top. And in the shower.

"Good morning," a husky voice whispered in my ear. "I didn't hear you wake up."

"Morning," I whispered back.

Turning around, I captured Brianna in a deep kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her body pressed up against mine.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked when we broke apart.

"Never better." She smiled coyly at me. "I was super worn out last night."

"I was too."

My fingers ran across her cheek.

"You were amazing."

Brianna blushed and looked down. Lifting her chin, I gave her a kiss before turning back to breakfast.

"It smells amazing in here," she said.

"Thanks."

"Do you have any coffee?" she asked, yawning.

"In the cupboard near the fridge," I said.

"Thanks."

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her make us coffee. It was like she belonged in my life. I finished breakfast just as Brianna poured two cups of coffee. We sat at the table, eating in comfortable silence.

"Are you working today?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "I need to clean my place, call my dad."

"You know I can call in sick …"

"As tempting as that is, I do need to get stuff done." She rolled her eyes.

"Had to try."

"You are incorrigible, you know that?"

"Part of my draw, babe." I kissed her cheek.

We finished breakfast and did the dishes.

"I was serious about staying home," I whispered in her ear, placing open mouth kisses on her neck.

She sighed as I made my way up to her lips.

"I can't, Brady … there are too many things …" she said between kisses before finally breaking apart from me. "I'll make it up to you though."

I grinned before kissing her vigorously.

"I'll hold you to that, babe." I kissed her on last time before pulling myself away from her.

I quickly grabbed my things to leave for work, the quicker there, the quicker I got my work finished for the day, and the sooner I could be back. Walking into the shop, I had a giant grin on my face.

"Hey, Brady," Sam said. "Good night?"

"The best." I smirked at him.

"I so don't want to know," he muttered. "You need to be careful."

"Sam …"

"Just don't want you to go through the same stuff we did."

"You sound like Leah."

"With good reason." He folded his arms.

"The same thing isn't going to happen," I said, sighing.

"Just want you to be careful."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Sam nodded as he got back to work. I moved to my station and go to work on my bike. It was nearly done, but I had to finish up the final details. Hours passed, and I was nearly done.

"Hey, Brady," Felix called from the work room. "Phone call!"

"Okay," I replied.

Wiping my hands off, I walked toward the work room. Felix handed me the work phone.

"This is Brady," I said, hoping that it wasn't my client, since I was no where near finished.

"Brady?" Brianna's voice said through the phone.

"Brianna? What's wrong?" I asked.

She always texted me during work; she never called the work phone.

"I … I can't do this anymore," she said.

"Wait? What can't you do anymore?" I asked.

"I … I can't do this anymore," she said.

Chill ran down my back. Felix stuck his head in, raising his eyebrow.

"I'm sorry … I, I'm going back home. I'll be with my dad, so don't look for me. It's, it'll be better this way."

"I'm coming home now. We can work this out," I said. "Don't leave."

I hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Felix asked.

"I have to go. She said she's leaving, and I have to go after her," I explained, pushing past him.

"Do you want me to go with you?" He eyed my shaking hands.

I nodded.

"Let's go. Sam?"

"I'll see you two later." Sam nodded at us.

Felix drove swiftly through town, pulling into my apartment in less than five minutes. As soon as we got there, I knew something was wrong. The smell of blood came pouring out of the building.

"I'm going to stay in the car," Felix said tensely.

"You can leave, if it's easier."

"Good luck."

I opened the door and nearly phased. It was her blood, not some other humans; it was hers.

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Emmett's point of view:**

"Daddy, he likes me," Arian whispered as the dog licked her gently.

_Daddy._

"He does, Pumpkin," I whispered back. "Why wouldn't he?"

Arian giggled as he licked her cheek.

"He's giving you doggy kisses," I teased.

"Daddy! Eww!"

I laughed loudly. "Maybe you'll settle for daddy kisses instead."

I gently turned her around, lifted her up, and blew a raspberry on her belly. She squeled loudly, and I could hear Carlisle and Jasper chucking from inside the house, and I'm sure they were watching through the window.

"That's not how you do it, Daddy," she said breathlessly when I lowered her.

"Oh, how do you give daddy kisses?"

She put her hands on either side of my face and gave me a kiss on the lips.

"I like that much better, Pumpkin." I smiled.

"Me too," she whispered.

She wound her little arms around my neck in a quick hug before turning back to Jacob, petting him as he rested his head on the ground.

"He's a nice doggy," Arian said. "Maybe he needs a home like I did."

"He has a home, Pumpkin," I said.

Nessie's shoulders were shaking from laughter as she played with Seth and Abby.

"Is this Ness' doggy?" Arian asked.

"You could say that," I replied.

"He's very lucky. Nessie is my bestest friend," Arian stated.

"I thought I was your bestest friend!"

"No, no, you're my daddy."

"That's true."

"Arian, Ness, dinner!" Rosalie called from inside the house.

"Nessie, dinner time," Arian whispered.

Nessie gave Abby a kiss on the cheek and came over to us.

"Is it dinner time, pretty girl?" Ness asked. Arian nodded, and turned toward me.

"Daddy kiss." Arian gave me a give, sloppy kiss on the lips.

Ness smiled at me while Arian lifted up her arms to be picked up. Nessie picked up my baby to eat dinner while Ashley brought out dinner for Abby, Seth, and Jacob. We thought it'd be better for them to eat out here while Arian drank her milk and blood. Even though she hadn't been tempted by human blood, we decided to be on the safe side.

"Uncle Emmett, we eat?" Abby asked, walking over to where I still sat on the grass.

"You want me to eat with you, cutie?" I asked.

"Peeze?" she said.

"Alright," I stood, lifting the little girl into my arms.

I sat at the table Esme and Ashley were setting with great amounts of food, holding Abby in my arms.

"I see you got roped into dinner," Esme said winking at me.

"Uncle Emmett eat wif me," Abby said.

"I see that, baby girl," Esme smiled.

"You too, Gamma!"

"All right, let me get the plates, my love."

"It be a party," she replied, making Esme and I laugh.

"Where did she learn that one?" Esme asked Ashley.

"From someone in the pack," Ashley replied, rolling her eyes.

"You wouldn't believe the stuff they've taught the kids," Seth said as he walked up the porch steps with Jacob on his heels.

"And you were oh so innocent before Abby was born, Seth," Ashley told him.

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you do," she said, her voice full of sarcasm.

When Esme returned with the plates and silverwear, everyone, with the obvious exceptions, dug into the food. I helped Abby feed herslef. We talked, catching up with our extended family and laughing at the comments Abby made. I missed the kiddo. She had Seth's happy-go-lucky attitude that rubbed off on everyone.

"Read time, Uncle Emmett," Abby declared when she finished her food.

"Sure thing." I stood with her and went into the house.

We found some books Ashley brought for Abby, many of them sensory, which were supposed to help with her developmental delays. Her little body sat on my lap as she held the book in front of us. I started to read and let her explore the book. Halfway through the book, a tiny gasp came from across the room.

"My daddy!" Arian's voice was full of jealousy.

I was shocked. She never spoke loudly; most of the time she spoke in an extremely quiet, timid voice. Her tiny body moved as fast as her legs would carry her and pulled the book out of Abby's hands.

"My daddy! You can't read with him," Arian said loudly.

"Arian, we don't speak to people like that. You need to share," Rose said from the doorway.

Tears filled Arian's eyes. We never had to discipline her before. My heart ached at the sight.

"Sweetie, I'm your daddy, but I'm also her Uncle Emmett," I told Arian as crocodile sized tears ran down her cheeks. "She loves me too and wants to spend time with me. You need to share."

"Share wif me," Abby said. "Read book time."

Arian looked like she wanted to say no and held the book closer to her chest. She took several steps back.

"Arian, you need to share the book," Rose reaffirmed.

Slowly, Arian stepped toward me, and I picked her up, setting her on the other side of my lap.

"Share, peeze," Abby told Arian. "We both hod book."

Arian hesitated but opened the book, letting Abby hold the other end. I read to the girls, Arian's body was tense. As we read, she slowly leaned into my side, becoming more comfortable with sharing her daddy.

"Thank you for share," Abby said when the book was over.

Abby hugged Arian, who slowly hugged her back.

"I put it away," Abby said, scrambling off my lap to put the book back.

"You did a great job sharing, Pumpkin," I whispered into Arian's ear.

She cuddled into my side as her eyes grew heavy.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Pumpkin?" I asked.

"Maybe … maybe we share a book tomorrow?"

"That's a great idea."

I kissed her head as she drifted off to sleep.

**Brady's point of view:**

I nearly phased right then and there. Shutting my eyes, I gained control over my shaking body. I looked back at Felix and mouthed '_Call Embry and Quil_.' He nodded, pulling out his cell phone. I moved quickly into the apartment building, pulled out my key to Brianna's apartment, and opened it.

A smear of blood ran across the living room and into the bedroom. Her books scattered across the floor, the bookshelf was toppled, and dishes lay in pieces in the kitchen.

"Brianna?" I called out, but I didn't smell her here.

Her scent was strong as if she just left, but not as if she was still here. I had to look though. The bedroom was worse. More blood stained the carpet and clothes were thrown around the room.

My throat closed, and it felt like I stood there for eternity, not knowing what to do.

"Oh, my gosh," Embry's voice said behind me.

Quil grabbed my shoulder.

"We need to call the police," he said.

I nodded slowly.

"I'll call," Embry said.

I didn't hear the phone call as blood rushed to my ears. Some boyfriend I was. I was a werewolf, for crying out loud. I should've been able to protect her from a human crime.

"Hey, do you think we could track whoever did this? Find her?" I asked Quil.

"I don't … I don't think that'd be a good idea," he said slowly.

"What do you mean?" My hands curled into fists.

"This could be a human case. It'd look … odd if we did something … I doubt Jake would approve."

I folded my arms across my chest.

"The police are on their way, and they said not to touch anything," Embry said, continuing to hold the phone to his ear.

My jaw clenched. I needed to get out of here.

"He's going to phase," Quil said. "We need to get him out of here."

"If he leaves now, it'll look strange," Embry argued, and I growled at him. "I'm sorry, man. You need to stay."

I stormed off to the kitchen, my arms folded. Leaning against the counter, I took a few slow deep breaths. It didn't help; her scent was everywhere. If I hadn't the self control, I would've phased right then and there. Rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands, I willed myself not to turn.

When the police came, I had a tight lid on my phasing. Embry and Quil deterred questions that were in jeopardy of pushing my control.

"Well, there isn't much we can do here, gentlemen," a cop said. "We recommend that you go home, and get some sleep. We'll be in contact with you."

I nodded slowly, wanting to argue with them, but I knew it wouldn't do any good. Quil and Embry flanked me as we walked towards the door. A crumbled up piece of paper lay on the floor. For some reason I stooped down to pick it up.

"Got something there, sir?" the cop asked me.

"Just a piece of trash," I said, looking over my shoulder.

He nodded slowly as if he didn't believe me. We walked out, and Embry quirked an eyebrow at me. I opened the paper. It had three words on it that sent chills down my spine.

You're family's next

**Thoughts?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all of the reviews! Horsegirlrule- you'll have to wait and see!**

**Brady's point of view:**

The first night was the worst in my life. I lay in bed, expecting Brianna to walk through the door. I wanted to hold her close to me, to kiss her.

An ache settled in my chest, and I wanted to go after her. I wanted to go into her apartment and search for any clues. I wanted to go after the men who took Brianna. It was madding to wait for the police to do their job. By the time they found her, it may be too late. She was probably.

_It's all my fault, _I said to myself_._ The thought ran through my head , pounding out of my head more rapidly when the smell of blood seeped through my apartment. I couldn't take it anymore. I got up, and shot out of my window, holding back the need to phase. When I reached the forest, I phased, not even stopping to make sure my clothes didn't rip. It was something I hadn't done in years. Whispers of sympathy poured in from my brothers, but I blocked them out. I wasn't in the mood to hear their pity.

Running for hours, I pushed my body faster and ran longer than I'd ever run before. When the sun started to rise, I turned back towards home. I had to look in her apartment, try to get a scent; who cared about human laws if I was in wolf form anyway?

I phased, moving too fast for anyone to see me naked. I opened the window, which made a little noise. I flinched in response. Once in the room, I quickly phased again, using my sense of smell to try and get a clue as to who'd taken her. Much to my frustration, there was nothing but our scent and the faint smell of some of the people who worked at the apartments.

Walking around the apartment several times, I found the same result: nothing. It was as if no one but us had been in the apartment except us. _How had this happened? _I walked into Brianna's bedroom and around to the side of her bed. Despite my attempts to avert my eyes from the blood, I looked down at the smear that ran across the carpet. My heart sank at the sight.

_Come home, Brady,_ Collin said. _Come get a beer with us._

_I need a few more minutes,_ I replied.

_Don't stay too long_.

I agreed, still looking at the blood, distracted by the sight. My eyes traveled the path of the blood until it stopped under the window. _That's strange, _I thought. Instead of continuing until it tapered off, it stopped abruptly. I approached the area, smelling it to see if I could get any clues. My hackles raised as I smelled it. I couldn't tell why it stopped like that, but I knew something was very wrong.

A numbness set over me as I went home. Found nothing. Smelt nothing. Hopeless.

Several days later, I sat on my couch, refusing all food and water Embry and Quil tried to give me. She was gone, and I was going crazy. Where was she, was she scared, was she hurt? Plus, there was the strange note that was left. What did they mean that my family was next? Other than my mom, I didn't have much family, unless they were talking about the pack … and I didn't share the note with them either.

"Hey, Brady," Emily said, squatting down in front of me.

_When had she gotten here?_

"I brought you some dinner."

I blinked at her. I wasn't hungry.

"Spaghetti, your favorite." She held up a container, as if to tempt me.

Usually, I would've torn the lid off and ate the spaghetti in less than two seconds, but I couldn't. I didn't feel hungry. _She _might not have food.

"You need to eat for her, sweetie," Emily said, as if she read my thoughts. "She wouldn't want you to just sit here like this."

"She's gone. Who knows what she'd want," I said harshly.

Emily flinched, making me feel guilty. Sam wasn't a part of the pack anymore; she didn't have to be here, taking care of us still. I didn't deserve to be taken care of since I didn't take care of Brianna.

"I'm sorry. I'm going crazy here," I explained.

"I don't blame you." She smiled sadly. "I'd be going crazy too. Trust me, I know what it feels like to think you may never see your loved one again."

I nodded. Emily knew; she'd gone crazy during the newborn and Volturi confrontations.

"Please eat, sweetie," she whispered, holding up the container, her large eyes pleading with me.

I sighed and took it in my hand. I opened it up and took the fork Emily held out. Without actually tasting anything, I ate the food. A howl rang out, and I stopped in my tracks, my fork halfway to my mouth. Leah.

"Something's wrong," Embry muttered, shuddering.

**Rosalie's point of view:**

"Seth is going to die when he sees you," Alice said as she put Ashley's hair into an elegant bun.

"Are you sure this isn't too much?" Ashley's hands wrung each other as she sat at Alice's long make up counter.

Alice had to beat Ashley over the head to allow a makeover to be done to her date with Seth tonight.

"It's not." Alice put her hand on Ashley's shoulder. "You're going to look like you, not like a clown."

"It's just that I never get dressed up like this." She bit her lip.

"You deserve it," I said, rocking Jordan in my arms. "You need a break to keep up with your little ones."

"And you don't?" She raised her eyebrow at me.

"Arian sleeps, I don't." I shrugged. "I get a break every night."

"I suppose that's true." She sighed. "He's still sleeping?"

"Yep." I grinned at my friend.

"He must like that you can move fast," she replied, noticing my quick rocking movements.

"Maybe he'll be quick when he grows up and phases." I smiled down at Jordan. "He's so precious."

"Can you hear what my daughter's doing?" Ashley asked.

I tilted my head, listening for Abby, and I heard her ask a crayon from Arian.

"She's roped my daughter into coloring."

"Oh, she's been doing so well," Alice commented. "I think Ness and Abby are good for her."

"I agree," I said. "She's learning how to be a normal little girl from them."

Alice worked in silence, putting the final touches on Ashley's hair.

"What are you little ladies doing?" I heard Jasper ask.

"We color," Abby replied.

"Does your mother know what you're coloring?" he asked as Alice sprayed Ashley's hair with hairspray.

"It surpise, Uncle Lasper," Abby replied. "It be for Gamma and Gampa."

"You may want to come look at this, Rosalie," Jasper said. "Bring Ashley."

"According to Jasper, our daughters are up to something," I told Ashley.

"This can't be good," she muttered.

We left Alice's overstocked bathroom, and went into the hallway. We stopped in our tracks, seeing a scared looking Arian and Abby, both holding crayons in their hands. The wall in front of Abby was covered in scribbles, and Arian had drawn stick figures next to them. I burst out laughing.

"Oh, Abby." Ashley moaned. "What did you do?"

"We make pwetty walls," she explained, as if it were obvious.

"We told you this wasn't okay." Ashley put her hands on her hips.

"I no color Uncle Sam's wall no more." Abby shrugged.

Jasper and I doubled over in laugher.

"When you make an argument like that ..." Jasper continued to chuckle.

"Oh, my," Esme said as she came up the stairs.

"Gamma, I made your wall petty," Abby blurted.

"Oh, get Grandma on your side," Ashley muttered. "Esme, I'm so sorry. I'll clean it up."

"Nonsense," Esme said, smiling. "It's an easy fix. Seth is waiting downstairs for you, my dear. Jasper will help me clean up."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble," Ashley said.

"I'm sure. Now go." Esme shooed Ashley away.

"I'll help you get the cleaning supplies, Esme," Jasper said.

I knelt down in front of the two girls.

"You need to apologize to Grandma. It's not okay to draw on walls, okay?" I reminded them.

Arian's lip quivered a little and she nodded.

"Okay, Aunt Rose," Abby said.

Esme and Jasper came upstairs with the cleaning supplies.

"Gamma, I be sorry," Abby said, her face full of sadness.

"I forgive you, my love," Esme replied.

"Grandma," Arian whispered. It was the first time she used that name, and my breath hitched as I heard it.

Esme softened and knelt down before Arian.

"I'm sorry." Big tears ran down her face. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, honey." Esme took Arian in her arms. "It was a mistake. Now you know it's not okay to draw on the walls."

"Only paper."

"Only on paper, my love."

Esme held Arian for a while until she stopped crying.

"Would you like to help me clean like a big girl?"

Arian nodded against Esme's chest.

"Good girl." She ran her hand through Arian's curls. "I'll need you to use the sponge to scrub the walls."

"Okay, Grandma."

Arian took the sponge and used it to wash the crayon off of it. When they finished, we fed them dinner, let them have a small slices of chocolate cake, and put the girls to bed. Throughout the night, Bella, Alice, Esme, and I took turns caring for Jordan.

Nessie decided that they'd have a sleep over in Arian's room, which made Abby and Arian happy. Nessie even pulled out three sleeping bags so they could sleep on Arian's bedroom floor.

"Nessie?" Arian whispered from upstairs.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"Are you asleep?"

"… No."

"Can we paint your doggy's nails tomorrow?"

"I don't think he'd like that, sweetie."

Alice and I laughed silently at their conversation. Jordan started to shift in my arms, and I moved him to my shoulder.

"Shhh," I said soothingly, hoping he didn't wake up.

One warm bath and a lot of crying later, he was finally asleep, and I felt glad that I didn't have to call Ashley to come home.

"She's been doing so well these past couple of days, Rosalie," Alice said quietly.

"I know. She's blooming, finally."

"So are you and Emmett. You're both amazing parents."

"Thank you."

I kissed Alice's cheek.

"You ever think about adopting?" I was curious to see if her feelings changed over the years.

"Can you see Jasper and I chasing after a little one?"

"I suppose not." I smiled at her.

"As always, we love being an aunt and uncle." A large grin covered her face. "We never thought we'd have a family like this, Jazz especially."

"It's amazing," I agreed.

"So, I've been thinking about Christmas …" Alice said, making me groan.

"Alice, it's six months away. You realize that, right?"

"I know … it's just Arian's first Christmas. Think of all the decorations we could get." She clasped her hands.

"You'll drive everyone nuts."

"It's for the children." She batted her eyelashes.

"It's for -"

A long, painful howl rang from outside. I met Alice's eyes. Something was wrong.

**Reviews are lovely.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Rosalie's point of view:**

A loud howl broke through our conversation. It was heart wrenching, signaling something was very wrong. My eyes met Alice's; he eyes grew wide.

"Something must be wrong," she said, speaking my thoughts.

We moved into the living room where we could see out the large windows. Edward stood with his hand splayed on the glass, his eyes focused on Jacob standing on the edge of the woods. Jacob's teeth were bared, hackles raised.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Carlisle asked as he entered the room from the staircase.

"Tala and Nina …" Edward chocked out.

The whole family was in the living room now with the exception of the kids.

"What happened, Edward?" Jasper asked sternly.

"They're gone," he said, his teeth clenched together. "Tala and Nina … gone."

"How?" Alice asked.

"Taken … they don't know who," Edward said.

"Can't they track them?" I asked.

"They can't get a trace on them, and it's as if they can't smell them," Edward said, looking at Jacob. "Is that correct, Jacob?"

The giant wolf nodded. Everything was still, much like when Alice saw the Volturi coming for us. The only noise came from a growling Jacob.

"What can we do?" I asked finally.

"Jacob wants us to call Seth, and have him come home. We need to call Esme and Bella to come home too. They should have fed by now," Edward said, looking to Carlisle for leadership.

"We'll go out in groups." Carlisle looked just like I felt. "I need to get some medical supplies in case they're hurt."

Alice was already on the phone to Esme, explaining the situation. A sob could be heard coming from the phone.

"Rosalie, will you go wake Ness? Jacob needs her," Edward said.

I nodded, numbly.

I put the baby in his basinet. Despite the commotion, he thankfully didn't wake up. I moved up the stairs. Each step was more difficult than the last, my feet like lead. When I got to Arian's room, Arian's and Nessie's sleeping bags were empty.

I strained my hearing, trying to find them. They could be in the bathroom, but I didn't hear them.

I opened the door the bathroom anyway, which was dark and empty. There had to be some mistake; they had to be here. Alice and I had heard them talking less than five minutes ago. I turned quickly and stormed back into to the bedroom. Under her bed was empty, and so was the closet. Edward suddenly stood in the doorway, his hands squeezing the door frame, leaving dents in them.

"I … I can't hear them," he whispered. "It's impossible."

Another howl pierced the air. This time it was louder and longer than before. Everything narrowed when I realized what happened. They took all of the girls, all of the hybrids. They wanted them, all of them.

The world tilted, and I fell, except I didn't fall to the ground. Strong arms caught me. Someone was screaming, but I wasn't sure who.

"Rosalie, you need to calm down," Jasper said into my ear.

_When had he gotten there?_

I was the one screaming. Of course I was; my baby, my _world_ had been stolen from me. Calming waves hit me, but they weren't doing much good. My anguish was too great.

"I need you to calm down, darlin'." Jasper's arms tightened around me. "We're going to find them."

Pain racked through me again, and a sob racked through my chest.

"Rosalie, you need to calm down," Carlisle said, his face inches from my mine, his hands cradling my cheeks. "Can you do that?"

I couldn't; there was no way. He had no idea what I was feeling right now. My baby was gone. _Gone._ Sobs hit my body so hard I thought I'd shake Jasper off of me.

"We need to go find them, and you're going to need to be thinking straight, sweetheart. Pull yourself together," Carlisle continued. "We'll need your help when we find Arian. She may be worse than when we first found her."

That snapped me out of it. We had to look for her. I wanted their blood. I tried to stand, but Jasper's arms prevented me from doing so.

"I'm fine, Jasper," I said.

Carlisle nodded at him, and his hold loosened.

"What do we need to do?" I asked.

"Emmett, Edward, and Jacob left already," Carlisle explained. "I want you, Seth, Bella, and me to leave the moment Bella gets back."

"Can't we leave now?" I asked.

"I think we may need to use Bella's shield at some point, and with Seth with us her coverage should help Jacob as well."

"What do we do until then?" I asked.

"I need to get my medical supplies ready. Come help me with them," Carlisle said. "Jasper, wait until your mother comes back, and then go with her. Take your phone."

Jasper nodded, heading downstairs. I helped Carlisle pack a bag filled with bandages, needles, and medications. He talked on the phone with Ashley, who was driving back on her own while Seth ran. He gave her instructions to be ready with supplies in case of injuries.

_Where was Bella? _

She was taking forever. My hands curled into fists, feeling my anger flow threw me. It grew the longer I waited, and I knew I had to get a hold of Arian and our nieces if it was the last thing I did.

Finally, Bella appeared in the doorway, her lip curled back, baring her teeth. A growl ran through her chest.

"We need to leave," she said in a low voice.

"We're ready," Carlisle replied, zipping up his medical bag.

We jumped out of the office window where Seth was waiting for us, his large tail swishing back and forth. We ran to find our daughters and nieces.

**Brady's point of view:**

"Stay here," I told Emily, dropping the food.

Quil, Embry, and I made our way outside, controlling our pace so people didn't suspect anything. Part of me felt like running. We hadn't seen action in a long time, so I was craving it. We phased the moment our clothes were tied to our ankles. Images and pain ran through us; so much so it was crippling. The girls were gone, and Leah was going crazy.

Embry fell to the floor in agony. I'd never seen one of us react like that; then again it was the first time something happened to one of the imprints. The pain shared through the link was nearly unbearable. Quil nudged Embry with his nose.

_Come on, man, _Quil told him. _Jacob wants us running now. _

_Can't, too … too much._

_I know, man. She needs you now, _I told him.

Embry stood on shaky legs.

_I'm ready,_ he said in a worried voice.

We ran quickly trying to find a hint of their scent, hoping to find some clue, a trail, anything, but nothing came up. That was until Jacob faltered when Rosalie found that Nessie and Arian were gone too. Our thoughts were silent for a moment and we pushed our bodies to run faster and farther, curses running through Jacob's mind.

_I need you to fan out,_ Jacob ordered. _Run toward us. _

I worried there was too much land between us and the Cullen home 100 miles away.

_I swear, Brady, if were here I'd kick your … _Leah started

_Leah, that's enough, _Jacob said, using the alpha voice for the first time. _Focus._

She pushed her body faster, Felix barely keeping up with her.

We spread ourselves out, just like Jacob ordered, looking for any hint of the girls. It seemed fruitless. None of us got a hint of their scent. Frustration, worry, and anger poured through the pack. The only thing that kept us going was the overwhelming need to bring the girls home safely.

We ran for hours, and our bodies were protesting from exhaustion, thirst and hunger. We couldn't stop. We wouldn't stop.

"You should rest," Edward said to all of us through Jacob. "Your skills will work better after a few hours."

_No, Edward,_ Jacob protested. _You know it's impossible. I know you won't stop to hunt when the time comes, so don't ask us to do the same._

"I know." He sighed, as we continued to run. "I know …"

The hours continued as the miles flew by, but we had nothing to show for the time and distance. Eventually, we crossed paths with the Cullens.

Suddenly, someone phased, but someone we didn't recognize. Their thoughts were confused, and we could see a dark and dirty room.

"Tala!" We could see Nessie's face come into view.

Nessie's face came into view, making Jake stumble and Edward cry out.

_Ness, _a young, scared female voice said. _What's going on?_

Oh my gosh. Tala had phased. There was a moment of shock before anger and hurt ripped through us. She was too young, and we thought she wouldn't phase for years. I could feel Leah and Embry's rage and horror radiating from them, making our own worries grow.

"You phased," Ness said, hope in her eyes. "Can you hear the guys … can you hear Jacob?"

_I don't …_

_Tala, it's mom! _Leah thought. _Where are you?_

_Mom?! _She whimpered. _We … we don't know … Mom, I'm scared._

_I know, baby. We're coming. I need to tell your father._

_No, don't phase. I'm scared._

_I'll be right back, baby. I promise. Your dad needs to know._

Leah phased, leaving Tala feeling panicked. She was screaming 'Mom' over and over.

_Tala, we're coming, _Embry said, finally breaking through her panic.

_Embry? Please get here soon._

_I'm trying. Do you know where you are?_

_No … but hurry, they may be coming back._

_They? _Jacob asked. _Can you show me who?_

Images of vampires came through her thoughts; three male vampires holding the girls, Nessie, Tala, and Nina fighting against their captors while one carried a sleeping Arian in his arms. We winced while we saw them being thrown into a dark, cold room. None of the vampires' faces were shown.

"They are the same men Arian was with before we found her," Edward said. "I'm sure. Seth, phase and let Rosalie and Carlisle know what's going on."

Leah phased back in to hear the last part of what Edward said.

_How are we going to find them?_ Leah asked, panic in her thoughts. _Tala, do you know where you are? How you got there?_

_No … I remember falling asleep in my room and then all of a sudden we were here, being pushed and hit by these men … I didn't see anything … I don't even know how we got here._

_Are any of you hurt? _Leah asked.

_My shoulder really hurts, Mom, _Tala replied_. Arian's been sleeping this whole time, we aren't sure why, Nina was bitten by one of the vampires, and Nessie's leg may be broken._

Leah howled again, making Felix ask her what was going on.

_She's okay … I think, _Tala said. _She's rubbing her arm, saying it stings. Uncle Jasper would be proud because she made the half vamp's nose bleed._

Curses came from Collin, Embry, and Leah, and they pushed their bodies harder.

_Tala, we're having trouble finding you. You need to listen for us,_ Jacob said. _Understand?_

_Yes, sir._

_Good, girl. We'll be here to help you, sweetie._

Tala looked at Arian, who was stirring a little. Her eyes fluttered opened and closed. Tala touched her nose on Arian's arms when Arian whimpered. Sympathy ran through Tala, and she knew Arian's past from our thoughts. Tala curled her body around Arian in a protective move. Arian sighed, and fell asleep.

"Thank you, Tala," Edward muttered.

A shiver ran through Tala's body when Arian buried her hand in Tala's dark grey fur. Our focus shifted. Our bodies were running south, but a pull made us go toward the east. Toward what, I didn't know.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Arian's point of view:**

I was having a nightmare. I knew I was because I was in the dark, scary room again. This was the room where Father would make me feel sick, and this time Nessie, another girl, and a wolf was there with me. The wolf wasn't as big as Nessie's wolf, and its fur was gray and white. I tried to open my eyes all the way, to say something to Nessie, but my body felt heavy, and I couldn't move.

The gray and white wolf curled around me. It was warm, just like Nessie's wolf. Maybe this one would be mine. I put my hand in its fur, wishing Mommy and Daddy were here. I whimpered when the bad vampires came in and held into the wolf tighter. There were four of them, and one of them was half-vampire, just like Nessie, the other girl, and me. They talked in low voices but didn't pay attention to us.

_Please get here soon, Mommy,_ I thought. _Please wake me up._

At that moment, we heard a loud bang and some howling, making us jump. I opened my eyes and looked around the room and held onto the fur so hard, my hand hurt.

"I thought I told you to give Arian drugs to keep her asleep," Father's mean voice said.

He was here? I started to breathe fast. _This_ might be real.

"I … I did, she should still be out for a few more hours," the half-vampire said.

"Go get more medicine for her. The rest of you, go stop them. I don't want any of them left alive."

The others left, and Father turned toward us. I could see his face now. He looked like Leo.

"My family will stop you," Nessie said. It sounded rude.

Father laughed.

"Is that so, little girl?"

"You have no idea," she said through gritted teeth. Nessie gave him a mean look, like she wanted to do something bad to him.

"I'm sure. Let me tell you about your new home. You're here to create a new race and serve the new species of vampire." He slowly walked toward us as he talked, giving us a big smile. "You see, you're here to give my son children. Although, I'll have to take care of the problem you're carrying now."

He grabbed Nessie's chin hard.

"You're going to learn that you'll never let anything less than vampires touch you. Understand me?"

Nessie jerked her chin out of his hand and spat on his face. He hit her face hard. Tears ran down my cheeks, and the other girl called out. Nessie held her eye while giving Father a mean look.

There was a large crashing sound at the door, making the four of us jump again while Father looked at the door, frowning. It rattled, and Nessie's big red wolf broke down the door, carrying a vampire hand in his mouth. Growls echoed through the room. The giant wolf jumped, and I felt scared of him. He was going to jump on us!

But he jumped on Father instead. The red wolf tore into the shoulder of Father and broke off a piece when a giant gray wolf came in. It bit Father's legs. Soon, Father lay in pieces. Nessie and the other girl were both crying very hard now as they held each other. A door opposite the one the wolves came in opened, more vampires poured through, many of them half-vampires.

New wolves came in along with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and the rest of my family, and they all fought the bad vampires. I was surprised when one of the wolves stopped to look at me. He was smaller than Nessie's wolf, but he was still really big. He had a black back and a white chest while his eyes were blue like mine. He walked toward me slowly, and unlike the first time I met Nessie's wolf, I wasn't scared of this one.

I wanted to touch his fur. He walked toward me, and just as his nose touched my arm, I felt large hands grab me away from the wolf. I cried out when I felt the warm hands of a half-vampire squeeze me.

"Don't you dare touch her," the half-vampire said.

The black and white wolf growled at the man holding me. This was a big mistake because the half-vampire squeezed me so hard, I felt something in my arm click, making me cry out. It hurt very bad. The boy cried out too, and I saw the gray and white wolf bite his leg. The boy dropped me to go after the little wolf, but my black and white one got to him first. The boy was ripped apart.

"Arian?" Mommy yelled.

"Mommy." I whimpered when her face appeared near us.

Even though I felt safer with my wolf, I needed her.

"Mommy!"

I cried hard as she lifted me, partly because I was afraid and partly because my arm really hurt. Mommy held me close to her chest, and she made a strange sound, almost like she was crying too.

"Rosalie, her arm's broken," Edward said, standing at her shoulder. "I'll need to place it so you can run her home."

"Arian, Uncle Edward is going to look at your hurt arm. Okay, baby?" Mommy asked.

I didn't want it to hurt, but what if Uncle Edward hurt me?

"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetie," Uncle Edward said. "Can I please help your hurt go away?"

Could he help me? He was very nice to Nessie, and she loved her daddy. He'd be nice to me, too. I nodded very slowly.

"Thank you, sweetie," he said, smiling at me sadly.

He touched my arm gently, and it stung.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts," Edward said.

"You're being so brave, Arian." Mommy kissed the top of my head.

"It's broken. But the good news is I don't think Carlisle will have to re-break it," Edward said to Mommy. "Make sure you don't move it too much as you run. Emmett can set if for you, but let me know if you need any help."

"We'll run home now," Mommy said.

They both looked at a crying Nessie, who was holding on to Aunt Bella. Edward looked like he wanted to go to Nessie, too.

"Go, Edward," Mommy said.

"Thank you for letting me look at your arm," Uncle Edward said, smiling at me.

Before I could say thank you, he was gone. Daddy helped wrap my arm before we started to run. Mommy ran with Daddy right by us, and my wolf was right in front of us. I slowly fell asleep in Mommy's arms, despite the pain I felt.

**Brady's point of view:**

I'd imprinted. Even though I knew it was a strong possibility, I hadn't expected it, especially in this situation. She was so fragile, laying there on that dirty floor, clinging to Tala. As soon as my momentary shock wore off, I felt heartbroken. She was _here_ of all places. I could feel the fear from Leah and the other guys searching for the girls, but to feel it for my imprint was overwhelming.

When the half-vampire picked her up, I lost it. I literally saw red. When I heard her bone break, I lunged at the hybrid, praying I wouldn't hurt Arian more in the process. Luckily, Tala bit him, causing the hybrid to drop Arian. I killed him in a matter of moments. Seth grabbed parts of his body to be thrown into the bonfire, leaving me to check on Arian.

Rosalie was holding her while both of them sobbed. I wanted to be near Arian, to check if she was safe too, but Arian needed Rosalie. She held onto Rosalie tightly while large sobs ran through her body. I'd never seen Rosalie act like this- this sobbing as she held on to another person. She'd always seemed cold and closed off, as if she couldn't show any emotion, but that wasn't the case now. She was a mess.

Arian's arm, however, seemed to be turning a deeper blue color. She needed help. Carlisle was checking over Nessie's leg while Bella and Edward stood tensely over the two.

_Edward? _I thought.

He cocked his head toward me to show he was listening.

_Please help Arian. Her arm ..._ I threw up an image of her arm.

He looked at Nessie one more time before turning toward us. His eyes fell on the black and blue arm. His eyes softened as he watched his niece hold onto Rosalie for dear life with one arm. He moved to talk to Rosalie just as Emmett came to stand next to me. He watched Arian and Rosalie carefully, and his eyes were pulled together with worry, a change from his usual carefree expression.

"Thank you for saving my daughter," Emmett said.

I snorted. I'd do anything for her.

"Did you imprint on her?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

I nodded my head. We didn't say anything as we ran to the Cullen home to have Ashley x-rayed and put a cast on Arian's arm.

_Brady?_

I turned to see Seth standing in a doorframe nodding toward the door.

_You need to come see this,_ he said, making me growl.

I turned. I need to be near Arian just to make sure she was all right. Seth showed me images of two battered women in the other room. I froze when I realized one of them was Brianna.

_Sorry, man. I wouldn't take you away from Arian if I didn't think this was important, _Seth said.

I turned slowly, Carlisle rushed into the room just before me. The only light came from a dim lamp in the corner. It, a mattress, and the two women were the only people in the room. I phased and pulled on my shorts. I kneeled next to Brianna while Carlisle kneeled over the other woman, a blonde. Brianna's face was black and blue with a busted lip, and the bruising extended down her arms and legs. Her hand looked mangled as did her hip.

"Brianna?" I asked.

She stirred a little. I touched her arm.

"Can you hear me? It's Brady," I said.

Her eyes fluttered open, and her face screwed up in pain. She looked at me, her eyes taking a few moments to focus on my face.

"I'm … sorry, so sorry," she said, scrunching her face up in pain. "We tried to … to stop it."

"What … you knew what was going on?" I asked.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as Carlisle moved next to us.

"Brianna, I'm Carlisle," he said kindly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"My father did this… the girls … I'm sorry …"

She was crying quite hard now.

"Shh, you need to calm down, sweetie," Carlisle said. "I'm sure you're in quite a bit of pain. Is it okay if I look at your hand and hip?"

Brianna nodded, not looking at me, but I needed to know more.

"Can you tell me more?" I asked.

"I tried, tried to stop …" She cried out as Carlisle inspected her hand.

"I'm sorry," Carlisle said. "Your hand's going to need surgery. Jasper, call Ashley for me; use the speaker phone."

Jasper pulled out his phone, and I slowly moved away from Brianna, torn between my imprint and my 'girlfriend'. She knew about this, knew that we were going after the girls. She didn't tell me. I hated her. I'd been used, I was sure of it. I gave her one last look as Carlisle told her that her hip was only broken before leaving.

Emmett and Edward wrapped Arian's arm in some spare clothes, securing her arm until we could get home, where they were talking about putting a cast on.

"Shouldn't Carlisle do that?" I asked.

"He'll be busy with … with the others," Edward said carefully, avoiding Brianna's name, I was sure. "I've had enough medical training that I could be a doctor, and Em was an EMT years ago."

I nodded; as long as she could get her arm taken care of.

"We need you to run with us in case there are any more vampires out there," Emmett said.

"Of course."

Rosalie repositioned Arian so her head was resting on her shoulder. Tears ran down Arian face, making my heart break.

"Mommy, are we going home?" Arian whispered.

"Yes, baby, we are," Rosalie whispered.

"My wolf too?" she asked, looking at me.

"I'll come too," I said, not knowing how she knew I was 'her' wolf.

"Thank you, Brady," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

Rosalie smiled at me sadly before we took off running. I phased and ran ahead of Emmett, Rosalie, and Arian, moving as fast as I could.

**Reviews are lovely! I'm also curious if anyone would be interested in reading a Brianna fan fic, let me know!**


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